H.Tai

relocated to a new address

2011-01-31T07:10:00.000Z

Dear friends and family, I have relocated my blog to wordpress because blogspot unfortunately has become the target of various governmental internet censorship programs. As a result many are having trouble accessing it.

Please visit my blog at its new site http://www.bobbity.wordpress.com/

Lalibela- The New Jerusalem

2010-02-20T12:02:00.001Z

A few weeks back I took a trip with 2 friends to the town of Lalibela. Located in Northeastern Ethiopia, this town was once the capital of the Zagwe Dynasty and previously known as Roha. Oral history dictates that King Lalibela ( reigned from 12-13th century) poisoned by his brother in order to gain control of the thrown, came back to life after several days of his death with a vision from god to build "a New Jerusalem". With that vision he began carving what is now a series of 11 rock hewn churches, intricately chiseled out of solid rock.

The result, still standing over 1000 years later is a spectacular wonder and architectural triumph. The site was the series of churches, crypts and grottoes are overpowering. No pictures of these grandeur structures parallels standing within their compounds. While traversing the narrow, dimly lit passage ways or taking the time to observe the intricate wall art, I was constantly in awe of the manpower and determination that it must have taken to complete such masterpieces. It is something you have to see in person.

We spent the day getting a history lesson as passed through the different churches. It was inspiring and definitely exceeded my expectations. The churches are still in use today and great care is taken to preserve them after hundreds of years of neglect. They serve as the epicenter for the Ethiopian Orthodox festival of Epiphany, where thousands of pilgrims descend on the town of Lalibela in search of spiritual rejuvenation.

UNESCO has erected obscure “Swedish” inspired roofs to protect some of the churches from the elements that have not been so kind over the years. These futuristic structures blatantly contrast with their surroundings. Despite their incongruity these protective structures do not detract from the real attraction.

We spent the night in a quaint hotel or series of tukuls, but with a modern twist. It was a great way to bottom out after an eventful day of “Indiana Joneseque” adventures. We even had the hats to go along with the character.

Amhara

2009-12-16T13:28:00.001Z

I have been fortunate these past few months, work has allowed me to explore various regions of Ethiopia. Primarily Amhara region. I have visited Bahir Dar (Capital of the region) on the shores of Lake Tana several times to date. I wrote those 2 sentences weeks ago but my rather hectic schedule has not allowed me to come back and write my commentary of those trips. The least I can do is put some of the pics that I have finally managed to upload. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words, so hopefully these pics do the talking.

I didn't take many pictures within Bahir Dar and more so of the surrounding countryside and rural regions. Much more picturesque. I will try my best to give you a glimpse of Addis in the coming days.

In the land of "13 months of Sunshine"

2009-11-22T09:15:00.003Z

It has definitely been a whirlwind these past few months. But I am happy to say that bit by bit I am starting to settle down in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I have been lucky to get the opportunity to travel outside of Addis. Thus far I have visited the Amhara region around Lake Tana (Source of the Blue Nile). Work has consumed most of my time as a result I have neglected my blogging. I hope to update every so often and post pictures of the regions I have visited. For now enjoying the place and slowly discovering what Ethiopia has to offer.

Into the Blue, Where the Grass is Green

2009-10-02T22:55:00.001+01:00

I'm not doing such a good job of blogging as I go along. I have been meaning to write about my trip to Blue Nile state for some time. Since my return from Blue Nile I have embarked on several other work related trips. I suppose that is partly the cause of the delay, lack of time to sit down and get things sorted out.

Blue Nile State is South East of Khartoum, bordering Ethiopia. It is where the mighty "Blue Nile" enters Sudan from the Ethiopian Highlands and moves northwards to Khartoum where it meets the White Nile.

This trip was my first visit to the region. Parts of the state is part of a belt designated the "Three Areas", which are regions across Blue Nile State, South Kordofan State and Abyie that border Northern and Southern Sudan. It is also where a lot of fighting and displacement took place during Sudan (Africa's longest) civil war.

A visit to this region proved to be very enlightening. A sense of stability has definitely been restored in this region...slowly but surely, the rate of returnees is increasing. As a result there is much to be done. Many of the areas I visited for work were once controlled by SPLA/M and much of heavy fighting took place. Many of these regions are still littered with landmines. Demining process is underway, but caution was exercised when walking around some areas.

This state houses a miscellany of ethnic peoples, at one point many were at odds with each other. I came across a variety of different tribes, with Arab, African or mixed origins. The most colourful...literally were the Um Bararo tribe. They take great pride in their personal appearance. In their case, aesthetics are just as important for men as they are for women. Men are often seen out herding with perfectly coifed hair, kohl (eyeliner) and other forms of natural pigments they use for make-up. Their attire is decorated with numerous colourful trinkets.

Now little by little it seems that some common ground is being forged. Still it is evident when you traverse the state you run into different tribes that claim ownership over a particular region. Most of the tribes in this region are herdsmen, semi nomadic moving where they can feed their livestock. The remainders are farmers tending to their plots. As in many parts of Sudan conflicts between herders and farmers flare up tensions every now and then.

It seemed that the entire state was covered in a brightly coloured green blanket. The gentle hills that at times are broken up by large rock formations were sparkling; the greenery was nice break from the sandy, dusty, hot Capital (Khartoum). Grass was plenty and we were frequently stopped along the way to make way for large herds of cows, sheep and goats. The occasional donkey or crowd of camels crossed our path. They are kings of the road around these parts.

Damazine, the capital of Blue Nile state is a fairly robust town. That's usually awoken this time of year with all that needs to be cultivated, harvested and sent to markets in other cities or outside of Sudan. This year though, repeatedly, complaints about lack of rains were echoed. This issue seemed to resonate in every conversation I had with people living in the area. Although, to an outsider it seemed that rains were plenty. To the trained eye, there isn't enough. I was told, the lack of rains in the highlands this year not only affected crop yields, it has dire impacts on drinking water supply in the coming summer season. I paid a visit to the reservoir at Rosiers Dam. I too got first hand account, as the banks of the reservoir were very low, at a time when they should be flooded.

Darfur Diaries: In pictures

2009-09-20T22:25:00.003+01:00

A few pictures of various parts of Darfur to give you a glimpse of what I have discussed in previous posts about North, West and South Darfur.

Darfur Diaries: South Darfur

2009-09-20T21:51:00.002+01:00

Nyala, the capital of South Darfur is a booming commercial town. Despite instability of the area, in many areas it is business as usual for local merchants. The streets are busy, markets are packed. Unlike its other Darfur counterparts, Nyala has a considerable amount of migrants from other regions of the country. Many from northern, eastern and southern states moved here for commercial purposes and settled down. Additionally, many of Darfur's tribes of "arab" are indigenous to this state. The mixture of peoples around this city is much more distinct and noticeable. The effects of this conflict have definitely hampered business but merchants are making due.

Displacement of peoples is also more pronounced in this region, mainly because South Darfur in general is much more populated than the other Darfur regions. Its population rivals Khartoum state from the results of the recent 2008 census, which many have raised objections about. IDP camps have become enclaves that have extended the boundaries of Nyala city.

The weather here is much more pleasant. The rainy season is in full force. Mother nature has been kind this year to this region, bringing about plenty of rain. Vital water needed to sustain the area. Sadly very little farming takes place relative to pre-conflict era. Many of the land remains uncultivated, many have left their lands behind and moved into camps or major cities. Instability has definitely taken its toll on the livelihood of these communities.

Life during these conflict years has definitely had its impacts. It has definitely toughened so to speak the people of this region. Their attitude generally is expect the unexpected. It is common place to have armed car-jakings, conflicts within camps and an increase in murders. Weapons are plentiful and can be attained with ease. Despite all these, residents of Nyala go on about their daily lives. Although for most, life as they know it has irrefutably changed, most know that you can't just cease to exist and one must carry on regardless.

The presence of such a large scale humanitarian operation, the largest in the world has dramatically changed the landscape of greater Darfur region. One cannot doubt that it has become a niche industry, benefiting many. Although many have their hearts in the right place, there are definitely some who profit from the instability and conflict in this region. And where there is profit, many vyy for an entrance. Some are taking advantage of a chaotic and unstable situation. That is clear by the number of armed robberies and carjakings that take place. It is relatively easy to do so and there is little oversight as a result the success rate is high. The black market is booming with stolen goods, ranging from cars, electronics, weapons, you name it.

Unlike El Fashir and El Genina, it seems movement is a lot less restricted and tea and coffee stalls are packed in the evenings. The markets are open fairly late and many can be seen walking around the streets. Despite all of this, it seems that it is a false sense of security, as the currents can change in an instance.

I am not familiar with region prior to the conflict, but from numerous stories heard, it seems that Nyala was a golden town, capitalizing on its location and mixture of peoples to establish itself as a regional commerical district. Prosperity was attainable and many moved to this region in the hopes of financial and commercial success.

Darfur Diaries: West Darfur

2009-09-20T19:55:00.001+01:00

The capital of West Darfur sits in very close proximity to the Chadian border as a result, there seems to be an interesting mix of people and smuggled goods readily available around the city. El Genina resembles more of a village that has rapidly grown into a town. The presence of UNAMID, government forces and militias are clear, somehow coexisting in a very fragile caldron. What once used to be the most peaceful city in Darfur has become the most unpredictable. You get the feeling that so much more is taking place just below the surface, but one is to afraid to peel back an inquire.

The landscape is intensely green due to the abundant rains. The wadis are overflowing with water and pastoralists can be seen herding their livestock on the outskirts of the town. Similar to El Fashir, IDP camps are scattered around the outskirts of the town. The situation in West Darfur is much more complex. Seeing the natural beauty of this area is somewhat saddening to see the instability. So much natural potential all of which cannot be harnessed due to movement and uncertainty. Movement after sundown is limited as is electricity. Due to continuous shortages in reserves, the power station is unable to function. For the most part, generators seem to be the most reliable source of power. The city's power it turned on after sundown until about 1am after which everyone is under the mercy of darkness.

I felt much more tension in the air while in El Genina, I couldn't attribute it to one thing in particular. Occasionally at night you would hear gunshots in the distance, the sounds were amplified by the stillness of the night and lack of electrical appliances to dull the noise. The mosquitoes around these parts are a force to be reckoned with. These bad boys can eat you alive, so my mosquito net became a very wise investment. Luckily the rains produced pleasant winds and breezes that made my stay a bit more enjoyable.

After a long day at work, it was nice to take a stroll by the wadi and take in the greenery, a novel sight in Sudan especially when one is accustomed to desert surroundings.

Darfur Diaries: North Darfur

2009-09-20T19:42:00.001+01:00

I spent the better part of August in various parts of Darfur on work related trip. I spent roughly about a week in each Darfur state beginning with El Fashir, ND then El Genina, WD and finally rounding off the trip in Nyala, SD.

Most family and friends were not comfortable with my trip to the region although commercial flights leave to and from Khartoum on a daily basis. Roads are less accessible due to armed robberies along the way and this time of the year the unpaved road are made impassable by heavy rains.

El Fashir, dry, desert climate is akin to that of Khartoum and Northern State. Sadly although it was the rainy season it was evident that rains have not graced the region. As a result the parched landscape echoed in the form of cracked soil and achingly dry trees. The perennial rivers known as wadis lay dry. Considerable measures have been taken over the past few month to increase security. As a result, nights are much calmer. In the past it was common place to hear gunshots being exchanged in the night. People were uneasy leaving their homes in the evenings. Slowly there seems to be calm over this region. El Fashir town is slowly regaining some stability, but right on its periphery a series of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps continue to grow. Some of these camps have become established towns, with houses built from bricks and layout of the neighbourhoods. Markets are thriving in these camps.

The presence of United Nations agencies and joint forces patrol the streets. These organizations cars at times outnumber regular vehicles on the road. In El Fashir alone there are roughly 15,000 United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) troops. Honestly I am conflicted about their presence in the area. At times I feel that they primarily drain the natural resources of the region and do very little to protect the residents of this region. This is the case in West and South Darfur as well but their troop sizes are considerably smaller in those states.

Blackout

2009-04-20T19:19:00.008+01:00

Over the past week and into this week the power across Khartoum has been blacking-out for increasingly longer periods. All is the result of technical problems with the integration of hydro-generated power from Meroe Dam in Northern Sudan. The Dam hailed as an infrastructural triumph and the largest project of its kind on the continent of Africa. It seems that now that it is up and running it has failed to live up to the hype. Granted engineers are working around the clock to remedy the problem. But in the meantime we residents are living in excruciating agony as we struggle to move about with lack of electricity under such scorching hot conditions.

Daily highs these days regularly hover in the 50 (degree Celsius). It is as if someone is playing a cruel joke and hovering a magnifying glass above your head. It honestly feels as if the sun's rays are directly above you. To make matters worse, the moment you step outside "samoom" dreadfully hot gusts of air (not sure if there is an English equivalent to that word) ungraciously slaps you in the face. For anyone not familiar with the feeling of such gusts, it is akin to placing your face in close proximity to an over as you come to open it and the burst of smouldering compressed air greets your face, similar experience to samoom except you can't escape it.

Power has going out for 6-12 hour periods at a time. It now seems that it is scheduled blackouts as some areas of the city are experiencing these blackouts during the day (from sunrise till near sunrise) and others in the evenings starting from sundown till the near midnight or beyond.

The current joke in town, as this is Sudan and no one has faith that anything can be accomplished properly that instead of providing electricity, the new dam has started sucking out power from the network. In reality there actually isn't a problem with the dam itself and it is theoretically capable of providing all the power officials boasted about. The problem most likely lies in the network that in some regions of the city is dilapidated and in need of rehabilitation or replacement.

As I currently write this we are currently experiencing such a blackout and I'm relying on my remaining laptop battery power to briefly entertain me. I have found some relief by soaking a piece of thin cotton cloth in water and laying it over my head and neck. I have no idea when this torture will be over but I pray to god they find a solution pronto!!!!

journey to the motherland: in pictures

2009-04-11T19:26:00.000+01:00

Journey to the motherland: part II

2009-04-10T17:14:00.004+01:00

Once we passed Al-Seliem Basin, the paved road ended and we reverted to using dirt roads. I was astonished once we entered regions passed Abu Fatma. The familiar desert topography that I had in mind faded, to be replaced by desolate and never-ending string of mountains and valleys. I was astonished at the sights before my eyes; I truly thought the only significant mountains in Sudan were to the West, in the Jabal Marra region. Only then did I begin to get an appreciation of the hardships faced by family members travelling to and from Khartoum to Al-balad (region of origin). The drive was backbreaking and this was felt from the comfort from our fully air-conditioned 4wheel drive land cruiser. So I could only imagine how much tougher it was in the Nissan buses that occupy this route. The roughly 280km from Dongola to Abri was covered in over 4 hours.

We arrived in Abri late in the evening and we pleasantly greeted at the DAR Consulting Guest house overlooking the Nile River and directly across from Arnata. From the numerous tales I had heard of the region, I imagined entering a completely pitch-black region, yet another contradiction was the enchanting dots of light that lit our path. Electricity which was once a luxury in this region seems to have been made accessible, in Abri at least. The guest house we stayed at, which I was told was designed and constructed by an Arnata native son was quite impressive. Definitely not the type of lodging you would expect in Abri of all places. It is definitely on par with some of the finest hotels in Khartoum.

Exhausted from the trip, we called it an early night in eager anticipation to finally see Arnata. The next morning I awoke and looked out my window to finally realize the island of Arnata is directly in front of our view. The weather was chilly, much chillier than I anticipated. A warm cup of tea and we were off to find a way to cross over and finally see that island that has captivated me. After arranging for a boat to help us cross over, we hesitantly wobbled down the steep embankment that contoured the banks of the Nile River.

Half way across the river, among a few men standing at the top of the embankment in Arnata, was my great-uncle. His boisterous laugh could be heard from a distance, as he waved his arms to greet us. As we arrived, I took a good, long look at the embankment we were about to climb; the equivalent of a 1 storey building, nearly vertical and composed of soft, silty unstable soil. The imposing climb made sympathize with those who use it on their daily route to and from the island. A few minutes later we were on solid ground among the wheat and fava bean harvests. The soft greenish-yellow stalks of wheat waved to and fro with the gentle gusts of wind. With each step our feet sank into the dark, fertile soil. Abruptly the arable plots of land were interrupted by sand dunes. Although not suitable for farming, these golden sand dunes sustained flourishing date trees. A short climb over the dunes and houses came to full view.

Neatly aligned houses overlooking central squares filled the landscape. Constructed of mud aggregate as a cooling mechanism as weather in these regions tend to be among the hottest on earth. The mud as opposed to conventional building materials tends to bring higher degree of relief from the scorching sun. Especially since electricity is scarce and fans or cooling systems are virtually nonexistent on this island. From a distance one would could not even tell the difference in building materials, as special care is taken to erect the houses and polish them with fresh coats of paint.

Upon arrival at my greatuncle's house we were greeted by a host of extended relatives. Some of which I had previously met, others it was a first time encounter. Our time was very limited despite their persistent efforts to persuade us to stay and have something to eat and drink, we wanted to cover as many houses as possible. So with a second cousin as our guide we quickly mapped out the houses of extended family we wanted to visit and got on our way. With each house we entered, looks of bewilderment and surprise were painted on their faces. I was the last person they expected to see. At each stop it was a struggle to persuade them that our time was limited. All wanted to honor our presence by having us over for a meal. Regrettably, time did not permit. Still processing our arrival, family members left what they were doing and joined in an ever growing procession across the island to visit other relatives. The sounds our laughter and chatter grew in size and even those who we were not planning to visit peeked outside their doors to find out what was going on.

It was a very short and bittersweet trip. At that point in time I seriously contemplated telling my aunt to carry on further up north with her work as planned and I would find other means of getting back down to Khartoum. Alas reality brought me down to earth and reminded me of my obligations to work and family back in Khartoum. We were whirled off in the same frenzy that brought us onto the island but this time with throngs of relatives bidding us farewell.

Journey to the motherland: part I

2009-04-04T16:17:00.004+01:00

Still reeling and trying to internalize the events from my last trip to El Gadarif and the Ethiopian border, I got the chance to go to the tiny island of Arnata, where my mother’s family is from. It was an opportunity I had been chasing for sometime but lacked the motivation as no one was keen on accompanying me. Luckily for me my aunt had a preplanned trip to the region to report on the progress of the Al Seleim-7alfa-Gustul, Egypt road that is currently in development. I jumped at the chance and packed my bags within hours of the news eagerly anticipating the journey. To give you an idea of the regions traversed during this trip, take a look at the map below:

The timing for this trip couldn’t be better as, I pleaded with various family members to take me, many gave me empty promises and my trip was never realized. In addition to all the other work trips, I didn’t have much time to take long time off and the journey is arduous so by the time you make it there, you better stay at least a month in order to adequately get the stress from the trip out of your system. Routes to far regions of northern Sudan have always been described as difficult. But I never grasped “difficult” it is one of those routes that you need to see to believe. Road conditions have drastically improved with the ongoing progress on this new route. Prior to the new highway in place, a trip to Abri (and then Arnata) would take 2 full days if no breakdowns occurred. Passengers often camped out in the middle of the desert and awoke the next morning to continue the journey. An alternative route was to travel by railroad via Abu Hamad on route to Halfa and then disembark to take a lorry south to Abri.

The first leg of the journey from Khartoum to Dongola (roughly 500km) was a breeze thanks to a relatively new paved highway that connects the 2 cities. The five hour journey led us into Dongola right around lunch time. We made a pit stop to eat, rest and accompany my aunt on some work related meetings. Up until this point the topography of the region validated my mental image of the deserts of northern Sudan. Large breaks of sandy dunes with a solemn mountain/ rock formation in the distance. For the most part it resembled regions of River Nile State, similar to what I saw along the way to my trip to Abu Hamad. (and the island of Mougrat). The paved road passed Dongola extends a few more kilometers to cover Al-Seleeim region. Beyond that point we entered new territory.

I was taken aback by the city of Dongola. To be honest I really didn't expect it to resemble a city at all but instead had the image of a large village in mind. I was pleasently surpised to enter a meticulously organized city with particular care from local authorities to keep the maintain the greenery that adorned its streets. My stay in Dongola was brief, so there isn't much I can say about the people as I did not have much time for interaction

World Water Day recap

2009-03-29T19:29:00.006+01:00

>the festivities and events that took place during World Water Day 2009 was a unique breed of cultural infusion and serious social mobilization campaigns geared at disseminating information regarding water, sanitation and hygiene to local communities. It was a action packed day with parades, songs, dances, presentations and forums for discussions. Here's a brief video recap of the festivities that took place in Kunaina Albeer Village on the periphery of El Gadarif State.

Note the dances at the end of the video are unique to the Masaleet tribe, originally from Wester Sudan. Many of whom have long settled in Eastern Sudan.

*** for several days now I have been trying to add the video onto this post, but unfortunately various trial and alternates failed.

Tales from the watering hole

2009-03-23T10:09:00.012Z

For the past few days, I've spent the majority of my in the village of Kunaina Albeer, located on the Sudan-Ethiopia border. A mere 10 km away, and one would be walking on Ethiopian soil and all that seperates the two nations is a mere seasonal gorge that is dry most of the year.

The 140km trip from the city of El Gadarif, the prominent thatched huts that are indegious of this region come into full view. Although labelled as a village, Kunaina is more like a small town with over 8,000 inhabitants and a sizable local market. It's an interesting village, one that suprisingly has high representation of various ethnic groups from across Sudan. Many came and settled for agricultural purposes. Others such as Huasa and Fulani (known as Falata in Sudan) groups with roots in West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana,etc) crossed the continent on route to Mecca and have since settled and became integrated into the melting pot of Sudanese society. These groups in addition to ethnic groups from Northern and Western Sudan along side numerous Ethiopians and Eritreans who also now El Gadarif home.

Most of the time was spent in the vicinity of the water station. Although not a watering hole, residents living on the outskirts of the village come into the water station to fill up. It's mostly kids who were present collecting water. So by default it has become the local hangout spot. So with donkies in tow children and teens line up and chat while filling up their water containers/ bags. Talks these days surrounded the exam timetable for some and the grueling load of memorization that awaits them. Others with their minds elsewhere, were discussing means of upgrading or buying bikes. A few had their heads in the clouds discussing, mobile phones they have seen some village elders carrying.

Dirty water cannot be washed

2009-03-19T11:50:00.019Z

So many of us take for granted clean water and somewhere to go to the bathroom, but the reality is that the vast majority of the world's residents, Sudan included lack access to these basic services. At that, the world's water resources are rapidly being polluted. As an african proverb stated in the post title says it appropriately points out that dirty water cannot be washed.

World Water Day- March 22 will be celebrated worldwide this year on this coming Sunday. Currently in the process of celebrating this day and bringing to light the monumental issues facing billions of people worldwide. This year the international theme is trans-boundary waters-shared waters, shared opportunities. Nationally, alongside the international theme, it has been decided to add additional messages to suit WASH initiatives. The national slogan is "Share the responsibility for the management of water sources and sanitation promotion" This year the national program will take place with promotional programs in El Gadarif (in Eastern Sudan). The Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) has a great campaign materials to highlight this sectors burgeoning problems:

one step forward....ten steps back?

2009-03-07T10:24:00.008Z

The ICC officially issued its arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir last Wednesday around 4pm Khartoum local time. The wearily anticipated news has had everyone on edge for some time now. Some fearing violence would erupt immediately after the press conference. Thankfully, no violence, just thousands of people out in a government organized protest in central Khartoum. Thursday was followed by more protests that drew even larger crowds. All government offices were given the day off and were highly encouraged to attend these protests.

It took me a couple of days to sit down and write this because I wanted to get a feel for various murmurs and whispers that underlined the roars of Al-Bashir supporters. It's all over the headlines; every major news agency has covered the immediate reaction of the government and Bashir's defiant dance to the West.

The general consensus here in the capital is that the issuance of this warrant is regrettable. Not necessarily because they are sympathetic with the president but more so worried about the outcome of this event. Many fear that this will lead Sudan into a downward spiral with its citizens bearing the brunt, particularly those in Darfur.

As someone who grew up in the West, I could understand how someone outside this country can see it in black and white....yes Al-Bashir should be tried at the ICC. But having spent time here working, I have begun appreciate the point of views of citizens of this country. I cannot say that there is a homogenous Sudanese point of view, but getting the chance to hear varied voices has led me to reevaluate this situation. The situation is far more complex and a message such as the ICC's indictment has some serious consequences. From a western point, the approach to this entire situation is 1 dimensional. I would say many of the repercussions of this indictment were not fully accounted for.

Politics and self-appointed political figures and pundits aside, the voices of regular citizens speak volumes and shove all the propaganda aside. From what I have gathered even those who strongly opposed Al-Bashir and his regime, are not in favor of the ICC's decision, for the following reasons:

Dislike for the government aside, many see it as a ploy by Western nations to meddle in Sudanese affairs and extort its natural resources. Bottom line they do not feel that anyone actually cares about the citizens of Sudan but are actually pushing for this indictment for ulterior motives. There is a very strong vibe of mistrust of the West here.
Some see it as another Iraq waiting to happen. Even though many Iraqis hated Saddam, he was the glue that held the country together. With so many ethnic groups in Sudan and the fragile North-South peace deal, Al-Bashir in a way is the glue that is holding this country together.
Others believe that it should not be a Western power (or Western backed power in the case of the ICC) to bring Al-Bashir to justice. "Sudanese people should find a solution to a Sudanese problem" one guy told me.
this warrant will ruin the country economically and millions will suffer as a result
The constant bombardment of propaganda from government and opposing groups will dominate the local media. All attention will be directed to this issue and everything else will be put in the backburner.
forget the word DEVELOPMENT... as now all focus will be directed to battling the "evil Western powers who are trying to bring down this nation"

Although the ICC's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, now a household name in Sudan stated the greatest implication of this warrant will fall on Al-Bashir himself as it will restrict his international travel, many see that will not be the case. The ICC has no enforcement powers and many countries are not signatories of the Rome Stature, which created the ICC in the first place. Many believe the ICC and "Ocambo" are "not firmly planted on the ground" implying that they are not being realistic to believe that Sudan will comply and hand over Al-Bashir, especially since they have already vehemently refused to turn over 2 other government supporters/officials heavily implicated in the Darfur crisis.

What is more unfortunate and appalling is the government's decision to expel 13 NGOs, which were some of the most active in delivering basic needs and services to hundreds of thousands of people. For someone how is currently working in the development sector this decision is making my head spin. Really I cannot fathom how the government or the remaining agencies will be able to fill the gap of those who were expelled.

In talking to friends and acquaintances in some of the expelled NGOs, the mood is frantic and melancholy. Many of these organizations have no affiliations with the governments of their nations of origin. They are charitable/humanitarian organizations with the sole concern to aid those in displacement camps, rural populations and those seriously affected by the events taking/took place in this country. The means by which the government went about expelling these organizations is uncalled for. Many have had many of their possessions seized, not even being able to take paper from their offices..... they were told to evacuate immediately. But even that could not happen as many who made it to Khartoum are currently waiting to get exit visas, which are complicated further by the cumbersome government bureaucracy.

I really do hope the government rethinks this decision as it is detrimental to the well being of hundreds of thousands if not millions of Sudanese citizens. When Sudan's issues were brought to the international stage, I was excited as it finally highlighted the plight of millions who could not properly voice their situation. The past 2 years in particular were good in the sense that the government began to take notice and allocate funds to alleviate the suffering of those disenfranchised citizens. These past few years saw some progress in roads to inaccessible regions, funds to establish and strengthen government sectors working in developing the underdeveloped regions of the nation. The means by which the international community has applied pressure in recent years has helped the situation somewhat.

Sadly the ICC's indictment has set the nation on the path to taking ten steps backwards....after its first step forward.

Sudanese words of wisdom 2

2009-02-24T18:25:00.004Z

درب السلامة للحول قريب

rough translation: the safe path is closer to the new year

meaning/usage:take the known (safe path) which will ensure you make it to the new year (live longer), rather than taking a short cut (dangerous/unknown path) and putting yourself in danger.

A Tribute to a Literary Great

2009-02-23T08:14:00.006Z

I have been meaning to write this post for a few days now to pay homage to Sudan's more ubiquitous literary figures... Mr. El Tayib Salih. I've been swamped lately but needed to get this post through. Mr. Salah passed away on Feb. 18th at the age of 80 in London after a long battle with kidney complications.

They say a picture says a 1000 words, and the Saudi Gazette summed up this loss so beautifully:

For me this author really helped me define my Sudanese roots and opened a door to my heritage that I lacked growing up outside the country. Although he published numerous novels and short story series, I have only gotten the chance to read 2 thus far; his most renowned book "Season of Migration to the North" and "Wedding of Zein".

Mr. Salah was born in Northern State, Sudan and travelled to London to continue his studies. As a result his book Seasons of Migrations draws heavily on his experiences of trying to reconcile two very conflicting cultures and realities. His work is a bold post-colonial statement that took me, as it did for many other readers, along for a journey where the young character is caught in the crosswaves of small, conservative agrarian society and the urban sprawl and ever expansive reach of Western Culture. This book was once declared "the most important Arabic novel in the 20th century". Unfortunately his great work was never properly given its due, where many called for Mr. Salih to receive a Nobel prize for his exceptional work.

Wedding of Zein, which is a collection of 3 stories (Wedding of Zein, A Handful of Dates & The Doum Tree of Wad Hamid). This collection, for me was much more powerful as it provided me with a compelling glimpse of traditional eccentricities of "al balad" the home country or indigenous culture. Despite its accurate portrait and specific descriptions of traditional Sudanese society, it has a universal feel. In the end they are small town folk, that can be anywhere around the world. The themes that are intertwined in these "folktales" can strike a chord with any reader, anywhere.The meticulous descriptions of the characters made me believe as my grandmother was sitting and narrating the tales of Zein and his tribulations to win Ni'ma's affections.

He is an iconic Sudanese figure, that truly gives and exemplary representation of Sudan and its people. At a time when this nation is known for civil wars, displaced peoples and oh so many political shortcomings, it is figures like El Tayib Salah that speak out for the voiceless peoples of Sudan. For that we owe him a so much gratitude.

Allah yar7amak....

Sudanese words of wisdom: 1

2009-02-19T09:29:00.004Z

As with any culture a series of proverbs and common sayings dominate the common diction. Sudanese have numerous proverbs and at times I find myself asking for an explanation. So I decided to start sharing a few that have crossed my path.

اليتبلبل يعوم

rough translation: one who gets wet, should swim
meaning: if one starts something or gets him/herself into something, they might as well see it throught or carry it out fully.

through the grapevine: expected ICC release

2009-02-17T10:17:00.002Z

Sudanese as a people are the biggest propagators of gossip. It seems that the entire nation is playing a long game of "telephone" where a fact or myth is modified a million and one ways. The result is a hodgepodge of hearsays and rumors.

Most of which are rooted in facts that have some validity but the extent to which the actual fact has been distorted is hard to estimate. So I have learned to take whatever I hear with a grain of salt, as there is bound to be someone out there who added a bit or deducted something from the original fact, or made it up to begin with.

These days a stormy cloud of uncertainty hangs over the nation. With the imminent indictment of the Sudanese President, Omar Al Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC), everyone here seems to be on their toes, especially those in Darfur. So through the grapevine, stories are circulating that once the official indictment is made public armed militias have been given orders to attack UN agency staff and related NGOs. As a result expatriate staffs are being told to prepare for the worst and expect immediate withdrawal from the Darfur region. There is no way of validating this fact. It could be completely fabricated. Regardless, no one is taking this threat lightly and are consequently preparing for what could happen.

Meanwhile, across the Red Sea in the Qatari capital, Doha talks have been taking place between Sudanese government officials and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) members. News reports have indicated that both groups have reached a preliminary peace agreement, brought on by intense international pressure. The timing of such talks are uncanny, no telling if this will have any impacts of the ICCs decision to bring Al Bashir's case to court.

tribal profile: Rashaida

2009-02-14T13:59:00.003Z

Among the numerous ethnic groups/tribes in the Kassala region, one I was particularly intrigued by was the Rashaida; sometimes referred to as Zebedia. This tribe traces its origins to the Arabian penninsula from which they migrated over a century ago. They claim to be ancestors of Haroon Al Rashid, some argue that their lineage stems from his wife Zubida. They are offended if you refer to them as Zebedia.

Although many centuries have passed, they have managed to grip onto their way of life and culture. They still maintain their nomadic lifestyle. Their Arabic accent is akin to those dialects of Gulf nations (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman). Their women always veil their faces in public. As a people they are fairly secluded and rarely marry from outside their ethnic group. Never really live in cities or urban areas and only enter Kassala proper to obtain goods, food, etc. Although, in recent years I have been told they started opening up to poeple and cordially interact with other ethnic groups in the region. They have increased their contact with poeple of the outside their circle.

As you enter Kassala you begin to see their settlements, usually a series of tents. They are a relatively wealthy tribe as they many are involved in smuggling of counterbands. So their dwellings have been upgraded with the addition of satellite TVs and their perferred mode of transport, which in most cases are landcruisers or pickup trucks. Top of the line of course. I kid you not, as we drove each settlement of tents had a fairly brand new 4 wheel drive vehicle or pickup truck. It was such an odd paradox.

a tasty bite of Kassala

2009-02-14T12:45:00.006Z

Toteel:
We met up with the rest of our group at the cafe near the base of Toteel Mountain. A pleasantly arranged set of cafes huddled on large rock formations. Of course coming to Eastern Sudan and not tasting coffee is missing out on oh so much. Neighboring the region that discovered coffee, you better believe coffee culture is serious business around these parts. Many of the ethnic groups Beja (mainly comprised of Beni Amer, Hadandawa and Halanga in addition to a myriad of other smaller tribes) roast, grind and brew their own coffee on the spot. Many carry around with them miniature mortar and pestle in order to grind the beans. Freshness is key.

So we climbed up to the base side cafes and decided to climb further to get a panoramic view of the city. Our climb took us to the Well of Toteel, a ground water aquifer that is recharged by rains, is a famous well. Locals say that if you drink from Toteel's water you are bound to return. So of course we abided by our hosts request to have a some water in order to ensure our return. Once we soaked up the majestic view of the city and all the way to the empty Gash River basin, we walked down to one of the cafes and ordered some coffe. They really do know how to brew some good coffee. We stayed at the café and watched the sunset, with its vivid streaks of oranges and yellows painting the sky. After which we headed down towards the city to took yet another prominent region of the city.

Al Sawagi:
Al Sawagi are a series of family owned orchards that line southern end of the city, along side of the Gash River Basin. The orchards extend for miles and grow a multitude of fruits and veggies including the famous Kassala "dotted" bananas. We drove along a 2 story high flood prevention dam that is meant to protect Al Sawagi's residents from the wrath of the Gash River. Driving along the orchards the air was fresh and clean, and much cooler than the temperatures in the city. We drove to a look out point, overlooking the empty Gash River basin and the mountains in the distance. At sunset, the view was surreal. When looking at the pictures taken at this location. It is as if, my colleagues pictures were photoshoped behind this backdrop.

Kassala Souk:
We hit the souk to get a taste and feel for pulse of the city. At night the souk is more effervescent. The rhythms of cars, vendors, music from shops and the mundane movement of people coalesced melodiously to generate a unique and pleasant soundtrack. The auditory experience was further enhanced by the distinctive smells of spices, coffee, incents and food freshly prepared by street "hawkers". Each regional city's central souk has its unique features but Kassala's souk is a different world. One that not only blends the goods of the colorful ethnic groups in the region but also numerous shops of Kassala's sizable Indian population. Indians here specialize and are well known for their Sari and textile shops. Most women purchase the Saris and wear them as our traditional Toubs. They are for the most part the same length. We zigzagged through various shops, mingling with the Indian owners to find good bargains. It was a really interesting case study to see how these Indians have assimilated into Sudanese culture. Yet at the same time maintained to retain their distinct Indian heritage. Their connection with their homeland is evident with the numerous Bollywood posters that decorated their shops in addition to pictures of devoted gods. Although walking through the souk and taking in first hand the interesting menagerie of shops and peoples, I quickly grew tired of looking at goods. I bought a few things early on but was obliged to continue through the maze of shops as others with me were still in the process of making purchases. After a long and exciting day, we bid farewell to our hosts who graciously chauffeured us around and showed us some of the best their city had to offer.

Upon our return to our guest house, we were greeted by a peculiarly organized poetry reading session. To be honest we were exhausted at this point, but at the insistence of the owner's numerous requests, we appeased him by sitting in and listening to some of the poetry. After which we called it a night.

Seedi Hassan

2009-02-12T10:04:00.013Z

Day 2, started off with the continuation of the workshop. After the conclusion of the workday, this wrapped up early around 3pm. We were invited to a meal by our Kassala counterparts for all the workshop participants. The meal was organized in one of the many orchards in the city. Somewhat similar to our outing in Kadougli, but here we had an uninterrupted view of Taka and Toteel Mountains. The backdrop this chilled out finale of our work.

we decided to make the most out of our time and immediately after the meal our hosts were eager to show us around. We hopped into our cars and began our tour.

First stop: Sayid Hassan Mosque

At the foot of Jabel Toteel, is the ancient mosque of Sayid Hassan (referred to as Seedi Hassan). The unroofed mosque is centuries old and houses the remains of Sayid Hassan in a "darieeh" or a mausoleum type structure. Residents of this region of sufi pilgrams travel to come pay their respects to Sayid Hassan. In addition to paying their respects many vie to obtain a bit of sand that covers the ground of the mausoleum.

The structure is quiet spectacular. Remains of wooden planks bulge out from the stucture. These wooden posts were used as ladders to stand on during the building process. Legend says, that although the mosque is unroofed that it rain never falls down onto the inside of the structure.

Walking towards the mosque, a feeling of bewilderment at how this structure was erected and how it stands side by side of the mountain, as if challenging the Toteel submits’s height. It's a pure show of audacity and boldness. The structure itself was created from simple copper-toned bricks and the pillars seem to have been of marble or a finely polished caramel-colored granite rock.

To pay our respects we took off our shoes, prior to entering the compound of the mosque and walked over the hot, grainy sand towards the part of the mosque that housed Seedi Hassan's remains. After walking in and sending a few minutes with that structure we toured the remainder of the mosque. The structure is largely unused but during large festivals (Eids), the mosque is used for regular prayer services and its largely vacant lots are packed with followers and parishioners.

¨for you Kassala, I fell in love¨

2009-02-09T12:58:00.009Z

This time, work took me to one of the most eastern regions of Sudan. Kassala is a popular local tourist destination, oddly with a disproportionate percentage of newlyweds. Many come to be enchanted by the mesmerizing Taka and Toteel "sugar loaf" mountains.

The post title "for you Kassala, I fell in love" is a rough translation of famous song lyrics that signify that one fell in love just so that he can come with his loved one to Kassala to share in its natural beauty.

The city of Kassala is on the border with Eretria, roughly 4 hours away from Asmara. It is about 600 km east of Khartoum. The city is split in half by the merciless Gash River. For most of the year the Gash River basin is a sandy, dry gorge that overwhelmed by water pouring down from the Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands during the rainy season. Unlike other seasonal rivers in the region, like the Atbara River, the Gash River has a habit of continually changing course and wreaking havoc on the city's residents.

We started off on the wrong foot by leaving relatively late in the afternoon for our trip. Mid afternoon heat waves indicated that it would be a long journey. Leaving Khartoum, we took the familiar path towards Wad Medani in Gezira State (southeast of Khartoum). From Wad Medani we broke eastwards heading towards Gadarif State. Unfortunately along the way, the intense heat left its mark on our car. Till this point we were relatively unaware of the extent of the heat from the comfort of our fully air conditioned car. After crossing Gadarif state borders, our car started to show signs of fatigue. First our air conditioning system gave way, then the engine itself began to wail. The parched engine quickly evaporated all our excess water supply. In an effort to remedy the situation even our drinking water was exhausted in the process of cooling the engine. We finally gave way and stopped the car for some time. When this procedure led to limited success, we began driving slowly till we lucked out on an agricultural camping post. There we were saved by 2 generous guys who supplied us with water to remedy the situation. To give you an idea of the course travelled, take a look at the map below.

We hit the road again and made a pit stop in the outskirts of El Gadarif for food and prayer. From there we cruised into Kassala fairly late in the evening. Even in the midst of night, the prominent mountains stood in a dark haze, as though keeping watch on the city's dwellers and visitors. The breeze was cool and refreshing a welcome change from the heat we were exposed to throughout the trip. The lush green savannahs juxtaposed to the Ethiopian highlands have a special blend of scents and gentle winds that are very welcoming and comforting to any newcomer.

Exhausted from our 11 hour journey, we made our way to our guest house and after settling in crashed for the evening. A long day awaited us in the opening day of our Eastern Region workshop.

Today the workshop started with the same routine followed in previous sectors. Members representing all institutions/ entities in the WASH sector in this region congregated to discuss and review the policy at hand and lend voice their concerns and suggestions. I stole away in the late afternoon in a gap where, with access to internet to update on my first leg of the journey. We shall see what else the lies ahead today….

loss

2009-02-03T20:23:00.002Z

For the better part of this month, the thought of sitting down at a computer or even putting together coherent thoughts in a blog was out of the question. It was the first time for me to lose someone close, the process of trying to internalize and process the events taking place were somewhat surreal. At times, it felt like I was watching a movie and it will soon end... to some extent it still does. Having received the dreadful news of my cousin's death in the early days of the new year, 2009 was forever marred with unpleasant memories. To make a difficult situation even more difficult was the process of trying to release his remains and bring them to Sudan for a proper burial; a wake, which was to last 3 days at most lasted nearly 3 weeks. I do not want to dwell on the events and what could have been. It is still somewhat difficult to process that I will never see him again.

I am thankful a good portion of my family was here or flew here to be together during this dreadful time. Their strength and solidarity has definitely helped in pulling our family together and shielded us this shattering event. I have come to realize that during moments of atrocity, one's true nature shines through. Having time to reflect on what took place, along with my grief, I am in awe of my family for pulling together and supporting each other. Each and every one of them is uniquely beautiful and I am thankful to have them.

With time, I hope that it will become easier. For now I ask god to provide us with patience to move on. He is constantly in my prayers and I hope he rests in peace. I ask god to give my aunt to deal with this tremendous grief, as I can only imagine how hard it is to lose a loved one, let alone a child.

I will try bit by bit to get back to blogging as I start to regain some sense of "normalcy" in my day to day activities.

A glimpse of Kordofan

2009-01-04T15:40:00.002Z

here's a glimpse of Kordofan (North and South). Uploading the photos took forever so this is what I could get around to uploading. Hopefully I'll try to put up more if possible

Hopefully I'll try to put up more if possible

to Kordofan and green savannahs

2009-01-02T05:34:00.011Z

For the better part of last week I left Khartoum for Kadougli; a city in South Kordofan State. En route we passed by Kosti (on the banks of the White Nile) and made a pit stop in El Obied (North Kordofan State). Kadougli is roughly 750km southwest of Khartoum. Without stops this trip can most likely take 12 hours by car, but of course pit stops are essential. To give you an appreciation of the distance covered in relation to the size of Sudan, look at the map below.

Thus far my exposure to Sudan geographically has been limited to the North and as far down as the Central region (Gezira State). All for the most part located in the world's largest desert (Sahara). So I've seen my fair share of sand dunes. Close friends often joked that Sudan needs a minister to manage its sand resources. No matter how hard I tried to explain to them that the Sahara covers only a third of Sudan, they were not convinced. During this trip, I waved goodbye to the familiar sand and dust and took a trip down to the savannah. The change in was gradual. Much of Kosti and even El Obied were dry, but I was told in the rainy season these regions bloom.

El Obied is a bustling city, arriving midday we made a pit stop and strolled through the central market, where pretty much anything you can think of you can find; from traditional spices to imported clothes and electronics. Took a quick tour of the city before going to meet our counterparts in El Obied office. One landmark that made a deep impression during my short visit to this city was the city's church. Its one of the city's oldest buildings but remarkably it stands as if it was built just a few years ago. It's sandstone blocks glistened in the sun.

After the short stay in El Obied, we hit the road again towards Kadougli. After leaving El Obied, clear evidence that we have left the desert behind were apparent, expansive grasslands with brief breaks of wooded areas. The further south we progressed, the more amazed that I was still in the same country. Traversing up and down gentle hills that were covered with warm green blanket; a blanket that viberates with vivid shades of green in the rainy season, it was hard not to be astounded at this country's natural beauty. Occasionally the prominent Tabeldi tree (Baobab tree) captured my attention, standing proudly. Its gargantuan trunk truly commanded respect. In rural regions across this state where this tree is prevalent and water is scarce several month throughout the year, residents carve out the inside of this tree and use it as a gigantic rainwater storage tank.

Along the way, we crossed the town of El Dalanj, the majority of this town is covered by a canopy of trees. Some of these woods expand well outside the limits of the town. In addition to the natural woods available, there is planned wooded region that was established by the British during their colonial rule. The once juvenile forest during their rule is now a lush thick forest that provides income for foresters in the region and is an excellent source of local building materials. Again, I was truly in awe that I was still in the same Sudan that I associated with dry, harsh and unforgiving sand dunes.

Paved roads extended up until El Dalanj, which made the drive thus far easy. The roads in this region are currently being rehabilitated. El Dalanj marked our entrance into Nuba mountain territory, regions that were ravaged by Africa's longest civil war. Up until very recently (2003) entry to these regions was fairly difficult and you entered at your own risk. It is clear SLPA/M territory. Past El Dalanj, in addition to entry authorization, one could not progress without escort via armed convoys. Moreover, travel had to be conducted during the daytime. It was vital that one arrived into Kadougli before 5pm. Today, no authorizations or armed checkpoints restrict access as they once did. Unfortunately roughly 130km strip of the road is in dire need of rehabilitation and remainder of the drive into Kadougli is backbreaking.

Kadougli itself is a city cuddled into a valley surrounded mountains. As you entered the city large trees hugged the roads on either side, saying welcome in their own way. Arriving fairly late, the city was vibrating with people sitting around at corner coffee/tea shops or kiosks and moving about.

Our work took good portion of the following 2 days, where there wasn't much time to explore. Much of what we set out to achieve in the workshop was achieved with surprisingly high turn out and participation from government officials at all levels as well as various stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector.

Unfortunately we did not spend enough time to make it out to Miri Reservoir a favorite local trip outside the city or see Kelbi waterfall. In the rainy season this region comes to life, and an additional number of seasonal waterfalls can be seen from within the city making their way from the mountains that surround the city. Our kadougli counterparts were very hospitable, they refused we leave without at least getting to taste a bit of their heaven. After the completion of the workshop we had an outing in an orchard on the outskirts of the city. Chilled out for the majority of the afternoon under mango groves. Our gathering turned into pre-new years festivities with music blasting and people getting up to dance. The festivities grew in size as more people joined in. Our hosts initiated the party and got people to get up and take part; any small reason was a reason for a festivities as if they were making up for lost times when such a gathering could not take place.

It was reassuring to see glimpse of hope in the region and as the rapidly approaching road reaches Kadougli, I am sure residents of the region who have been cut off for so long will once again be connected. There is definitely a feeling of peace and calm in the region and it's comforting to see that residents of the region have begun to gain some relief. It's one thing to reflect in such a positive tone but sadly not all regions in this country or this state share in Kadougli's fortunes. Stability and unrest still plague nearby regions such as Abyie. Regardless of my political views and my skepticism towards all parties/factions within Sudan's political scene, I do hope that these regions begin to gain stability as residents here have suffered silently for decades.

land of my fathers

2008-12-25T08:07:00.005Z

I have been meaning to write about my Eid Al-Adha trip for sometime now. I spent this holiday with my father's side of the family. The trip was a 2-part saga in which the first leg of the journey led us to Atbara. A railroad town/city roughly 3 hours north of Khartoum. Sudan is an obsessively ethnocentric nation, in which ethnic makeup and geographical roots define the vast majority. Each residents of each region/city take pride is perpetuating their persona, which at times resemble a string of accumulated stereotypes. Atbara is a city that defies that mold, originally a railroad junction established by the British, it lives on its former glory days. Its residents oddly are obsessed with time and order ( a rare thing to find in Sudan). The railroad still active but not as it once was, it no longer retains the same clout due to the increase of paved roads and use of personal cars and buses. Nonetheless, many thanks to the railroads intensely close communities were forged, ones where ethnicity does not play a role. The first 2 days of the holidays were spent making the rounds between uncle/aunts homes and eating considerable amount of meat. I have not handled or eaten so much meat in a 2 day period, in all forms and types: bbq-ed, stewed, minced, and so on. Growing up with 2 vegetarians in the household, meat was used as flavoring in my food only and never consumed as a main meal.

The third day more family piled into their cars and we headed off up north to Abu Hamad to take a ferry to Mougrat Island (4 hours north of Atbara). The place where my father was born and grew up. I had never been here and I've always wanted to see it. For one of my uncles it was a journey back for the 1st time in decades. Mougrat is the largest island on the Nile River, way of life is a world a ways from Khartoum or even Atbara. The number of donkey-drawn carts vastly outnumber motorized vehicles. An electricity network was set up by the residents and powered by generators as no formal networks are in place.

here's a glimpse of the island:

Immediately after disembarking from the ferry we were greeted by fine silt dust that covered the banks of the Nile River. Once we arrived at the house, we were greeted by a multitude of extended family members that I had never met, each trying to explain how we are related. I lost track fairly quickly. To be honest the relationship didn't even matter, knowing that we were family was enough. Besides there was no way I would be able to distinguish the convoluted family structure.

I spent an amazing few days, getting to know the land, the people and the environment. I visited my grandfather's old home, the place were my father grew up. We roamed around my grandfather's farmland and date trees. Heard stories of my father's mischief and debauchery that made me laugh till I cried. Time spent here, without once thinking about TVs, internet or any electronic devices was refreshing. Despite never setting foot on this island prior to this trip I was immediately made to feel at home.

new beginning

2008-12-24T20:23:00.003Z

It has been a while, and the intention was always there but never really got around to it. I've been back in the motherland for some months now. It's been interesting; can't say all has been positive but experiences nonetheless. Currently working in the water and sanitation sector. Loving the chance to gain experience, discover parts of this country I have never seen before and navigate the maze of cultural and subcultural protocols without getting lost in the maze of formalities and social customs.

This is my attempt to get back on the blogging horse. I've changed the look of the blog to commit myself to the new beginning. I hope to continue and I will try my best to blog often.

Ooooo Canada!

2008-07-01T15:16:00.005+01:00

Happy Canada Day!!

Enjoyed a lovely Canada Day celebration infront of the Canadian Consulate in Trafalgar Square. Complete with Tim Hortons, all dressed chips and beaver tails :)

The Alberta tent ridiculously overshadowed the other provinces, with free canvas bags with "Alberta" plastered on the side. I guess that's what oil money can get you. Overall it was a great day and more importantly beautiful weather.

Cycling in their birthday suits

2008-06-20T22:43:00.005+01:00

A bit late in posting but it's worth mentioning. So last Saturday, seemed to be a regular day. The rare spark of sunshine prompted a trip out. Plus my sister had a weird fixation with flying a kite that she hunted down in several toy shops around town. So we headed to Hyde Park on this fine day. We weren't alone, it seemed that all Londoners jumped on the chance to catch some rays. Despite the partly cloudy sky, all was well and everyone seemed to be enjoying the day.

As we ( Hanan, Maysoon, Francesco and I) were sitting on the 2nd deck of the bus, Francesco startled pointed towards a naked man cycling on the opposite side of the street. Our gaze immediately turned and trailed the lone nude cyclist. To our shock we turned back around and a sea of nude cyclists rode by! Of course trusty youtubers provided me with some footage.

It turns out they were environmental activists, trying to raise awareness about various environmentally related issues. After recovering from the intial shock of all the sea of nude cyclists. We made it into the park and had a pretty good afternoon. Parted ways from Maysoon and Francesco. On our way to Oxford Street, Hanan and I, got stopped again by the parade of cyclists and were forced to wait out the sea of cycles until we could cross the street.

really only in London!

Eurovision?

2008-05-29T13:20:00.004+01:00

A few days ago (I will admit) I sat down and watched part of the finale of the Eurovision competition. The song contest where European nations enter a song into the competition. Several rounds of eliminations take place. Then the rest of the European community votes on their favorite song. That's the gist of it. To be honest I didn't know much about the contest. I began to get a vague idea last year when the winning Serbian song (Numa Numa) made its way to international parties the world over in ridiculous number of remixes. It just seemed to never die out.

So this year I got a bit more insight to this interesting spectacle and yes it really is a spectacle. Apparently, the contest was started by France and for many years traditional Western European nations were the victors. In recent years that has not been the case. Despite the absurdity of some of the acts, I couldn't stop watching. It was like seeing a two cars about to crash and you can't take your eyes away. Additionally the horror or amusement (whichever u prefer) was satirically commented on by British broadcaster Terry Wogan.

First of although it's a European contest for some weird reason Russia, Israel, Turkey (debatable depending on who you talk to) and Azerbaijan participated. Last I checked all these countries were in Asia ( again with Turkey depends on who you talk to- they try so hard). It was evident that some took the contest far too seriously while others used it as a tool to mock and parade about on stage.

When voting time rolled along it was clear that this contest wasn't about the music but had clear political roots. I quickly found out why it's a lost cause for many of the Western European countries to think about winning. Those countries eliminated early on, root for their neighbours. Well that depends if that neighbour took part in their ethnic cleansing. Regardless it seems that the Baltic block as Terry Wogan put it " know who brings home the bread and butter" and voted overwhelmingly for RUSSIA?!

Another point of interest, most countries opted to present a song in English; Even FRANCE!. I was definitely taken back by that one.

From the portion of the finale that I did watch there seemed to be several Britney Spears-esqe admissions presented by: Greece, Ukraine and Armenia.

Others were off the wall in an amusing way: France, and my favorite Spain. Others, took it way too far and I have no idea what they were thinking Azerbaijan, Latvia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Overall it was interesting. And if your interested here's a recap video of the finalists.

don't know if it is worth calling it eurovision any longer, or pretending to care about the music.

Hiatus

2008-05-29T13:13:00.002+01:00

I realize that it has been an incredibly long hiatus. Since my last blog post it's has been zooming through 4 weeks, 4 continents, 5 countries. I finally settled for a bit in Saudi Arabia. I am a bit upset that I was extremely lazy and didn't keep up the blogging during my time there because I definitely had many blog-worthy thoughts. Maybe another time.

Currently in London and hoping to get back on the blogging horse.

A minute to reflect

2008-03-02T18:25:00.006Z

For the better part of this past month I have taken every opportunity (and decent Internet connection) to update you on my travels. I mostly described the places and routes that I embarked on and talked very little about my impression of the locals and how they perceived me.

The further I worked my way down south into Patagonia the more intriguing my presence became. For many I was the first Muslim they had come in contact with. I often found myself explaining my origins, which drew even more curiosity. Not only a Muslim but Sudanese origins....in South America. I was prodded for answers everywhere I went. I welcomed the questions because it was much easier to start convos and meet new people along the way. For many I met, I dispelled a lot of their stereotypes about Muslim women. Having the explain the theory of the hijab and the choice I made to wear it. The differences between what I wear (the hijab) and the "black robe the covers the entire body (niqab). Also the fact that Muslim woman are not oppressed and are allowed to travel as they please. One woman was fairly surprised to find out that Muslim woman are allowed to leave their countries and travel alone. That convo was fairly interesting. I had to explain first and foremost I can't speak for all Muslim women around the world. More importantly that along with the religion there are various cultural practices that become fairly intertwined that natives of each region have varying interpretations and views regarding the day to day practice of Islam.

I was surprised to know that even though most locals have never come in contact with many Muslims they still had a pretty good knowledge base. I definitely appreciated my improving command of the Spanish language as it definitely helped me meet people and get into more interesting conversations.

It wasn't only my interaction with locals but also travellers from other countries as well. Talking about politics, culture, language, etc was fairly enlightening. Although many are put off by the thought of travelling alone, I found it be more rewarding. Generally those who travel in groups, tend to stay within their group. Me travelling, I was more inclined to start up conversations with people around me, which allowed me to improve my Spanish and learn so much more about those I met.

With out a doubt, I know that I have much more to explore and I really hope I can return soon.

As for my time in Uruguay, as cliche as it might sound it has been one of the best learning experiences I have had. Not only am I leaving the country with the knowledge of a new language, I am also leaving with the knowledge that I have made some really close friends.

Yes I know that I have a fairly distinct Spanish accent now (many thanks to my primary teachers Emi and Euge). In terms of placement Uruguay has been great for many reasons. Firstly, it's fairly safe; never did I feel uncomfortable walking around Montevideo. Secondly, relative to its neighbouring countries the standard of living is much cheaper. So that made saving money all the more easier. I pretty much saved every dime I could in order to freely explore Brazil, Argentina and parts of Chile. Finally, travel to most other South American countries is easily accomplished from Montevideo itself or across the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires.

It's been hard to say goodbye.

Buenos Aires

2008-03-02T17:45:00.003Z

I will say Buenos Aires was not as bad as I expected but It was much harder adjusting to city life when being out in the vast spaces of Patagonia for so long. Plus Buenos Aires in general can be a bit overwhelming.

The first day I arrived, I met a few people at the hostel who were venturing into a neighbourhood of BA called La Boca. It is not what you call a tourist friendly hot spot but it's definitely full of culture. They were going for a last ditch effort to find tickets to one of the football games. River Plate a popular local team was playing. I joined in, knowing La Boca's infamous reputation I travelled fairly light, with only a few pesos and some ID (no bags, camera and the likes). We got info on what bus to take and more importantly what street/stop to get off. People weren't exaggerating when they said some streets are no-go zones. We got to the stadium and confirmed what we knew all along...the tickets were sold out. Since Argentinians followed football so religiously I wanted to watch the masses attend mass. Sadly that didn't happen. So we opted to get a bite to eat and return back to the hostel which was located in the centre ( a few blocks from the world's largest avenue, 9 de Julio).

I did get a chance to visit San Telmo ( Tango barrio of the city) on a booming Sunday. When the market is in full swing and some of the roads are closed to cars only pedestrians. Luckily the weather was nice and cool that day. That was another thing to get adjusted to, going from cool, windy conditions to hot and humid BA was not a pleasant change at all.

And as if I wasn't attracting enough attention alone with the hijab, I went to eat with a few more travellers from the hostels (3 guys from Norway). So you can imagine how that appeared. 3 taller than your average Argentinian, Norwegians with bright blond hair and blazing blue eyes, and me with my hijab. I guess I would stop and stare if I saw such a group strolling through the streets of BA. We had a good laugh about it.

ohh, I met another "Bag" how odd is that. For those not familiar, that is one of several nicknames coined by my dear friend Tina. So there I was chilling at the hostel after a full day of exploring BA when someone calls out hey Bag, so out of reflex I turned to find they were referring to someone else.

All in all I enjoyed my time in BA but during my entire stay there all I could think of going back down south to Patagonia. By the third day I was ready to leave, I purchased my ferry ticket back to Uruguay and headed back to Montevideo.

Bottleneck

2008-02-24T12:37:00.004Z

Luckily right before I arranged my trip down to Chile, I also contemplated how the heck to get back up north. It had taken me several weeks to work my way down to this point in Patagonia now the trick was to find a way back up. Since busing it all the way up will no doubt take at least 3 days straight. I decided to fly part of the way. I went to LADE, which is an argentinan company operating in Patagonia and has flights up to Buenos Aires.

It was fairly difficult to find anything up to B.A. everything was fully booked. So right there standing infront of the attendant I decided to make a pitstop on the Northern Patagonian region (on the Atlantic coast this time). I knew that the national park outside of Puerto Madryn had the biggest Penguin colony outside of Antartica. Flights to P. Madryn and nearby Trelew were fully booked as well but I managed to find a flight to Comodoro Riv. (4 hours South of Trelew). Since my options were limited I bought the ticket right there and then and went next door a bus booking company and purchased a bus ticket for the rest of the journey up to Trelew.

The day of my flight, it was pure madness. Areolineas Argentina (which isnt even an argentinan company, from Spain) was on strike and numerous delays. So you can imagine the matchbox of an airport in the small town of El Calafate and lots and lots of angry tourists. I was thankful I wasnt travelling with them. Especially since they charge 3 times as much as LADE and apparently provide worse service on top of that. But due to their incompetence, all other airlines suffered as well. Here I was thinking I was on top of things. For the first time ever in this trip I had prepurchased a bus ticket before arriving to that city. My trip thus far has been planned city by city. It was kinda ironic, the first time I plan ahead, something like this happens. I thought I had a lot of wiggle room to get to the airport in Comodoro to the bus terminal to get to Trelew. But the delays continued. Luckily we made it out and bargained with a cab driver at the airport to shoot straight for the terminal. THANKFULLY, I made exactly 3 mins before the bus was set to leave.

I arrived in Trelew around 10pm and headed for a small hotel I had quickly looked up. Honestly it was the worst place I stayed at and the most expensive. But since it was late and close to the terminal I paid without much argument. I was very thankfu l I took a shower at night as there was no water in bathroom in the morning. Angry as I was I packed up my things, paid and left find an internet cafe to update the parentals and wait for the bus to see the penguins at Punta Tombo.

Finally with some decent internet connection I was able to add more updates and upload photos yesterday. I got a bit carried away and completely lost track of time. Realizing I had only a few minutes to get to the terminal to go to Punta Tombo, I packed my things in a haste and like an idiot forgot my camera at the internet cafe!!!! I was extremely depressed throughout the ride and the excursion to see the little waddling critters. Unfortunately no pics for this one.

One thing i must say, peguins smell, no they outright stink! and are fairly snappy. A man got pecked by one. On the way back we stopped in the small village of Gaiman for a little bit of Whales in Argentina. This city and surrounding region was settled by Welsh settlers. We stopped in a Welsh tea house and were stuffed with unlimited tea and Welsh desserts. Returning back I made what seemed to be a lost endeavour to find my camera. I was thinking for sure someone had stolen it by now. I was extremely suprised when I returned to the internet cafe to find that someone found the camera near the computer and gave it to the shop attendent. I was sooo relieved!

From there I went straight to the main bus terminal to find a way up to B.A. I asked around the various companies and luckily there was a serivce leaving 30 mins from when I came to inquire. I bought the ticket and boarded the bus immediately.

17 hours later, I arrived here in B.A. and to be honest I really wish I was back south in Patagonia. I dont think I can stand B.A. for too long. Dont get me wrong it is a great city but after the surreal experince with Patagonia´s natural wonders, I dont think the buildings and roads of BA can suffice or even come close.

Trekker´s Paradise

2008-02-24T11:53:00.002Z

I realize that my decision to venture off to Chile was a bit impromptu but I couldn't resist the urge to get up and leave. I had heard so many great things about this place. I thought the notion of experiencing 4 seasons in one day was a bit ludicrous but those who told the tales were not exaggerating one bit.

After getting through the immigration bit at the border and settling the park entrance fees we were off. I started the first day with a semi organized tour. Since Torres del Paine is several hours away from the nearest city you have to organize transportation with some company or other. no public transport at this point. We left behind the only remnants of civilizations (the town of Cerro Castillo with a population of 200 people)

We started off the day on a good note with chilly weather but rather sunny. That quickly changed, as did the wind. The trek started near Lago Amargo (bitter lake), appropriately named as it contains 3 times more salt than sea water. It is all that remains from one of the glaciers that existed there several million years ago. Unfortunately it is expected to dry out within the next 1o years or so. From there the trek lead us to the middle of the park to the Lago Pehoé. Spent the night at a refugio near Lago Pehoé and continued the next morning to the mirador near the Glacier Grey. Because of heavy rain during the first day of trekking I didnt get to take as many pictures. Mainly because the view of the Torres and the glaciers were obstructed by fog. I was beginning to realize that it was my bad luck as the same thing happened during my trek back in El Chaltén.

On the first day while still on the transport we stopped near the waterfalls that empty out into the Lake. It was spectacular but the wind was as vicious as ever. the guide estimated it at about 150 km/hr. It was ridiculous. It was the first time in my life I saw a grown man lifted off the ground and literally tossed a few meters away. The trick to stay in control was to walk in groups and when gusts of wind blew with rocks flinging in every direction was to turn your back to the wind huddle in groups and stay connected. Naturally it took some time to work our way up to the outlook point as we had to continually stop and huddle to protect ourselves from the wind. Despite the frightening experience I definitely know that I want to return someday to complete the entire "W" circuit.

The next day I went a stopping point near Lago Pehoé to catch transport out of the Park and to the Argentinian border where I was able to switch buses and get back to El Calafate at 1am the following day. This by far has been my most unforgettable experience probably because it was the most challenging. I met some really great people along the way. In such conditions you really end up bonding with those you meet along the trails.

I am definitely glad I got the chance to go even if for 2 days but it really is difficult to think about what I left behind. It feels so injust not to have continued but again I really hope I get the chance to come back and complete the circuit and spend more time in the region.

Glaciers!!

2008-02-23T14:20:00.002Z

Fortunately the trip from El Chaltén to El Calafate wasn´t too long, again continuing on Ruta 40. I wasn´t really sure how long I would stick around here. The first day was spent roaming around the city. At this point in time El Calafate is the most expensive city in Argentina. Sadly I realized the sad fate that awaited El Chaltén. It was overrun by tourists who came on cruises. Everything was mostly organized tours, no room to really go out there and do it yourself. the age demographic of the visitors changed as well. As opposed to El Chaltén which had a fairly young, backpacker vibe, El Calafate was overrun by rich retirees wanting to see the glaciers from a far.

The following day I had a tour to the Parque nacional de Los Glacieres. Once again the same group of people I had been shuttling with since Bariloche were on this trip. We joked some more about this encounter over lunch. Despite the hoards of tour buses it was worth it to go see the Perito Moreno Glacier. One of the very few growing glaciers in the world. The trip was amazing and getting the opportunity to hike a bit in order to trek the glacier was an unforgettable experience.

I returned back to El Calafate and contemplated my next move. Originally I had written Chile out of my plans but along the way I met other travelers venturing to and from Parque Nacional de Torres del Paine. I initially thought I wouldnt make it down there because if you turly want to experience it you would need a minimum of 4 days to do the classic "W" circuit. Time that I did not have, but once I got down to El Calafate and being oh so close to Puerto Natales, Chile, I decided to go for it even if just for 2 days just for a bit of trekking and back.

The same day as my excursion to the Perito Moreno glacier, I got back into El Calafate and made plans to leave. Luckily for me there were buses leaving daily at 5am. So i purchased my ticket, went back to the hostel and backed a lighter bag for the journey and left the rest of my belongings there until I returned.

El Chaltén

2008-02-23T13:47:00.002Z

spent 2 days in this little village along ruta 40. This dot on the map attracts hoards of hikers and climbers who are enticed by the infamous Fitz Roy (standing at 3441m) and Cerro Torre. The big draw is the nearly vertical, granite appearance of the Fitz Roy that makes it a fairly difficult challenge to summit. Not to mention the unpredictable weather which can make or break your journey.

The village is rapidly developing as the tourism industry grows. Everywhere you look more hostels/hotels are being built. Also construction is underway to pave a main road. Ironically the main road of this little village is built right against the prevailing wind. Talk about poor planning. To think you have a clean canvas and yet there is still room to scew it up. But that just goes to show that really there is no coherent development plans just the notion of get it done as soon as possible.

Sadly I didn´t really have much time here and I wanted to make the most of my stay. on my Second and only full day there I started my hike to Lago Torre to see the glaciers. In total it was an 8 hour endeavour. Fairly exhausting I must say. I started off with very windy conditions. Along the way I met a few people huddled under a ridge trying to wait out the gusts of wind. Sure enough the wind subsided and the sun came out. That gave me encouragement to keep going.

Although I started the hike alone, I met many people along the trails who were headed to the same destination or to the base camp to get to the Fitz Roy.

Half way through the hike though, the weather changed once again. It began to rain and rain. I contemplated returning but by then I had walked over 4 hours and I was determined to get to the glaciers. It was fairly foggy and the rain just kept on pounding. Finally made it but near the base camp at the higher altitude the rain turned to freezing rain. During this entire process I kept on thinking that the purchase of my wind/rainproof jacket back in Bariloche was the best decision I have made thus far. Thankfully otherwise I would be suffering from a severe cold.

Getting to the glacier despite the weather made my day. Sadly the full view of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy were obstructed by the fog. nonetheless I know I made it. Then started the grueling hike back to El Chaltén. This trip would normally take about 6-7 hours but the slippery trail conditions and the strong winds. I had to wait out these gusts and then continue.

Got back to my hostel and my pants, shoes, socks were completely soaked! and I was freezing cold. Luckily I had time to change and grab something to eat before catching my bus further south to El Calafate.

By this point I had formualated a travel group. We started the trip together back in Bariloche and ended up taking the same buses or staying in the same hostels throughout the way until El Calafate. It was a Welsh couple, a guy from right outside London and 2 Isreali guys. It was nice to have company during the looooong and painful drive down to each city.

On the road again

2008-02-23T12:57:00.005Z

The extra days in Bariloche were well worth it. I really enjoyed my time there. Plus the hostel was great. It was by far the best stay I´ve had thus far. Not only was it a great hostel (La Bolsa del Deporte for anyone who is thinking of coming into the area) but the vibe was absolutely amazing. During my entire stay in Bariloche I have never seen the city at night. Mainly because each night after a hike or day trip, I came back to the hostel cooked dinner with friends I made there and chilled out for as long as I could keep my eyes open. It was the first place that I really connected with people there and not have the feeling of passing travellers. My last night there I was pursuaded to practically stay up the entire night chatting instead of getting a bit of sleep before my 6am bus down south.

Ruta 40
the trip down south, I took the infamous ruta 40 instead of heading to the Atlantic shore and following the paved roads down south. This is the road the legendary Che Guevara took on his journey. This road extends all the way down southern Argentina. Judging from its current unpaved condition not many changes have been made since Ché himself embarked on his trip. Its fairly desolate with the Andes in the distant view. I am kind of glad I took the journey on it now as plans are on the way to pave it, which will surely change the landscape and the level of traffic through the region.

Perito Moreno
After 10 hours of this back-breaking journey we stopped in this little village for the night. nothing really much to say but for the fact that it was nice to sleep in a bed. The morning after joined in an organized trip to the Cuevas de los Manos (caves of the hands). Caves with prehistoric paintings over.It was really interesting to see. The paintings tell the story of inhabitants of this region and their hunting practices.

The tour dropped us off along the way further south where I took down to El Chaltén via ruta 40 once again.

Change of Plans

2008-02-16T14:17:00.003Z

Yesterday before starting out on my hike, I went out to the bus terminal to buy my ticket to Puerto Montt, Chile only to find that of the 5 companies that run services to there non had anything until Monday. The only company that had a Sunday bus was fully booked :( I was fairly disappointed. If I left on Monday then I would only get to spend a day and wont be able to go to other cities and islands as planned. So i sat down and recalculated my moves. I ultimately decided it is not fair to just jump into Chile for a day and not really get to know it as I wanted. I looked into other options.

Finally I decided just to keep heading down south in Argentina. The new plan is to continue as far south as El Calafate (glaciers!) then head back up north along the eastern coast. Stop at Puerto Madryn and then head to BA and return to Montevideo. I think I was trying to cramp too much in a very short period of time.

Since I love Bariloche so much, I decided to stay an extra day, relax and prepare for my next trip tomorrow. (hence all this time to sort out my photos and update my blog).

Bariloche

2008-02-16T13:32:00.005Z

Yesterday I took the time to hike and trek a bit closer to Bariloche. I took the bus out to Puerto Pañelo on the edge of Lago Huapi. From there I walked until I found the trails to the Bosque Arrayanes. That was by far the best trek yet. This trail was absolutely beautiful with outlooks onto Lago Moreno Oeste. I walked the entire trail and then continued onwards along the paved road until the edge of Lago Escondido. Honestly I can´t get over these lakes and my camera doesn´t do them any justice. They are usually a shade of brilliant blue-turquoise. All of them are glacier-fed.

After stopping for a bit, I continued onto Bahia Lopez. I could have taken the bus from there but it was such a nice day, I kept on walking until the colony of Colonia Suiza. There Swiss immigrants first settled in the region. That is probably why most of Bariloche and surrounding villages/towns retain this Swiss log cabin feel with that very distinct architecture. Also why Bariloche is so famous for its chocolate.

At one of the outlook point I ran into an Argentinan couple and got to talking to them. We parted ways and I kept walking. I ran into them later on up ahead at a little snack shack near Arryo Lopez. Ended up sitting down and chatting with them for ages about politics, culture. We exchanged info and hopefully try to stay in touch.

In total I probably walked about 15 miles. I was sooo exhasuted by the end and just wanted to find a bus. Some of the hiles were brutal. Luckily I caught the last bus back from Colonia Suiza to Bariloche and there I went to visit a friend who I encountered on the ride from Mendoza. She was staying at another hostel.

I came back to my hostel to find an Asado (bbq) in full swing. Spend a great evening chatting with other travellers and eating roasted corn on a cob (wasnt really interested in the meat).

Hippies Rejoice

2008-02-16T13:11:00.003Z

So a few days ago I headed down south to the hippie colony of El Bolsón When people talked about it, I really thought they were exaggerating but there was no exaggeration on their part. Its original inhabitants made it an ecological municipality. I went on one of the days where the market was in full swing. All stalls were selling handmade crafts or foods (breads, jams, etc). By midafternoon, I had grown tired of the market and the flood of people coming into town.

Attempts to make it to Bosque Tallado to hike the Cerro Piltriquitrón failed. I couldn't find suitable transport to the base and heavy rain the previous night and morning would have made the trails very muddy and slippery.

Instead I took the collectivo an hour outside of El Bolsón to the Parque Nacional Lago Puelo. Treked through the trails and finally stopped by one of the outlook points, ate my packed lunch and took a nap near the beach before heading back. This lake is simply amazing. Sadly I didn't take enough photos to show but at you get closer to the Chilean border, the lake's colour changes (probably because of the sediments). But there is a clear and distinct line that seems to divide the lake.

After a full day of trekking and exploring this hippie colony, I headed back to Bariloche for the night exhausted as ever. I wanted to crash but instead I ended up chilling for a little while with others in the hostel and then went to bed.

Lake Hopping

2008-02-14T14:03:00.005Z

After a greuling 20 hour bus ride, I finally made it into Bariloche yesterday. The view from every direction is breath taking. Altought most enjoy this region in the winter for skiing and winter sports activities there is plenty to do this time of year. The city itself has fallen to the immense amount of tourism. It has become somewhat of a gimmicy town. It has a rustic Swiss Alps town feel, with houses and buildings incorporating heavy log for the foundation and structure.

I was so glad I booked my hostel in advance this time because there are so many hills that trying to find a hostel when I got here would have been a nightmare plus most hostels are fully booked. The place I´m staying is great. Chill, laid back and close to the centre without being right in the action. Yesterday not knowing really where to start I wandered about the city. I encountered a guy who runs various excursions. Since it was fairly late in the day to start on any long haul trekking/rafting, etc he suggested checking out the other lakes in the area. Bariloche is located in the southern tip of the lake district on the banks of Lake Huapi. He suggested a few of the local buses that run rural regions outside the city. I hopped on bus 50, not knowing really where I will end up. I asked the driver about a lakes and he said his route stopped by Lake Gutierrez, so lake Gutierrez is where I headed.

The water was so prestine and clean and interesting shade of blue-turquoise. Simply beautiful. There I met a bunch of people chilling by the banks of the lake chatting. Got to taking to them and got a few tips about regions further down south. Got back from that trek around 9ish (and the sun was still bright). Sunset was nearly 11pm.

For the evening I got to chatting with a bunch of people from the hostel. It was by far better than the hostel in Mendoza. Also more nationalities represented. Ended up going to bed far too late, especially since I planned to get up and catch the first bus out to the city of El Bolsòn (2 hrs south of Bariloche).

Needless to say somehow I did wake up in time and barely made it to catch the 8am bus into El Bolsòn. I wandered about the feria (market) that´s held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Unfortunately my plan to go trekking in Cerro Piltriquitron isnt going to happen due to heavy rain, plus no means of getting close to the ridge. I wanted to go see the famous carved statues up at the submit. For now I am sitting in an internet cafe waiting for a bus to the Parque nacional Lago Puelo.

more on El Bolsòn and surrounding regions to come.

Mendoza

2008-02-14T13:51:00.006Z

A few days ago I got to spend time in the city of Mendoza after exploring the surrounding regions. The city is beautiful and what struck me the most are the water canals. The city is located in a region, which at one point was primarily desert. Indigenous inhabitants of this region created canals and planted roots of these trees in the canals. Today the city is green everywhere and the canals have been expanded to bring in more water from the Mendoza River.

I also met up with a few people I encountered the previous day to go visit the Parque nacional de San Martìn. The park as well as most of the greenery around the city is maintained by a series of canals and boasted hundreds of species of trees and plants. Trekked upwards towards the Cerro to see the statue of Glory and get unbeatable views of the Andes.

I also got a chance to chill back at the hostel and meet up with other passing travellers. At one point a conversations between an Argentinan, Brazilian, Italian, a few Chileans and a German took place where soo many languages were flying by and each trying to traslate words for the other to understand. It was a interesting gathering. I am convinced that Chilean spanish is incomprehensible most of the time. ¿Chachay? It will be interesting to see how things go once I cross over the border to Chile in the next few days.

Andes High

2008-02-12T11:23:00.001Z

So my project in Uruguay wrapped up early and having a few weeks of free time I thought to take a trip. Initially I was thinking to stay later on to March and head to Peru and Boliva. That plan didn´t really pan out as planned. So I made an impromptu decision to trek through Patagonia (Southern Argentina and Chile). I roughly mapped out cities of interest and bought a ferry boat ticket to Buenos Aires.

Got into BA early Sunday morning and roamed around Retiro Bus Station to find companies with services to the city of Mendoza. I bought a ticket for that same day, put my large backpack in storage and roamed the neighborhood surrounding the bus station until it was time to leave.

The trip to Mendoza was a hefty 15 hr bus ride; it was a long sleepless trip. Got into town yesterday at 6AM. A friend has told me about day trips that go up to the Chilean border stopping at the national park for trekking and other geological interest sites. I asked around and found a company that runs such a service. To my luck or misfortune (how ever u see it) they had a bus leaving in 30 mins (6:30AM). I decided to go for it. Bought my ticket right there and had them save my large backpack in their offices until I returned later on in the evening.

The trip was well worth it. From Mendoza we headed northeast to Uspallata crisscrossing through curvy roads through the Andes. From there we headed to the Aconcagua Provincal park, near the base camp of South America´s highest peak. Summitting it was out of the question as for someone as unexperienced as me it would take a 20 odd days and some serious cash.

The drive and Trek was spectacular and we continued on further east towards the Chilean border to Punte de Inka. A natural stone bridge over (at 2750m (7000ft) above sea level) the Mendoza river. The bridge which was part of the Ancient Inca route crossing the Andes and upwards towards Peru was a sight to be seen. The presence of sulfur deposits and its subsequent oxidation has turned the entire rock formation an incredible shade of bright yellow and orange.

Continued upwards and definitely began to feel the affects of the high altitude. Stopped at various other peaks to take a look at natural rock formations or just trek a bit through the Andes.

Finally we crossed over the Chilean border and hit our highest altitude at 4,200m (about 12,600ft). There was Chile´s own verison of Christo ( a gigantic statue of Christ). The views from here were unbeatable looking at the snow capped peaks. To combat the altitude sickness I was passed a sample size cup of this liquid (yellowish in colour). It was called Agua adriente. I should have guessed its contents since the alternative to combat these symptoms is chewing coco leaves. I downed the drink and that stuff was damn strong. But I gotta admit it was helpful definitely helped with the nausea and the light-headedness.

Got into town and walked around to 3 diff hostels until I found a place. Chatted a bit with a bunch of Chileans I met and then crashed for the night.

Today I´m planning to check out the city of Mendoza proper and the Parque Nacional de San Martín with a few ppl I met at Andes trek yesterday. This evening since I clearly didnt learn my lesson the first time, I´m taking a 19 hr bus ride further down south to Bariloche. The lake district just north of Patagonia. Not sure how many days I will spend there, depends on how much I like the place. I am enjoying taking it city by city and making definitive plans as I go. The people I´ve met thus far have been a great. It doesn´t feel like i´m traveling solo.

I´ll keep u updated.

"protecting our hobos"

2008-01-31T20:20:00.000Z

A little while ago one of the living room lights burnt out and my flatmate went about changing it. Before getting rid of the old bulb I found her wrapping it with newspaper and asked her what she was doing. She said " oh this, this is called protecting our hobos". She was talking in reference to the garbage bin divers who scavenge garbage for recyclable/reusable goods.

When I first got here, the fairly modern city that is Montevideo, I occasionally saw a horse-drawn cart with several individuals and tons of bags/plastic goods/boxes etc. I thought it was kind of odd. When I enquired I found out that these people make a living off the goods they find in the bins. Then I came to discover the symbiotic process that drives their livelihood. So in this small South American country the notion of recycling and reusing is fairly common and practiced in most households; separating glass and plastics and cardboard before disposal. Uruguayan based companies also promote recycling. For example Conoprole (primarily known for dairy-based products) advocates returning all milk bags. Milk here is sold is sealed plastic bags (just like the ones in east coast Canada). So we wash them out and when we accumulated a bunch we take them back to the supermarket to be recycled. Same goes for bottles, most glass bottles are returned to the supermarket.

To add to this most of the major supermarkets now have orange plastic bags that they distribute along with the regular grocery bags. These bags are to be used to dispose of recycled goods. So it makes it easier for those who scavenge for these goods to find them. I thought that was really interesting, I guess this to some extent is aimed at promoting the reuse of goods and in some way to facilitating the livelihoods of those who live off scavenged goods.

Comparing Uruguay to Canada/US or the UK who spend significantly more in promoting recycling/reuse agenda, it seems that Uruguayans have simply adopted it into their way of life. Granted not everyone is as avid about the process as my flatmate but generally most Uruguayan living throughout Uruguay (not just the big city-Montevideo). This process took me back to my Solid Waste Management class, which heavily relied on psychology. It just reaffirmed the notion that promoting this agenda cannot solely be focused on placing empty bottles in a different bin, but incorporating it into a larger scheme of lifestyle changes.

It got me wondering if North Americans will ever "buy into" reducing their consumption. I guess this post also comes on the eve of increased coverage of several cities worldwide becoming "bag free zones". Notably led by Rebecca Hosking from the city of Modbury, England, who went on a spree to rid her town of all plastic bags.

All in all, I'm fairly impressed by way of life here. Not that I am naive and believe recycling will solve the world's problem, because the sad reality is domestic waste is only a fraction of what occupies landfills worldwide. Additionally, the process of recycling in itself is a costly and sometimes polluting process that requires altering the chemical makeup of a product. But in the grand scheme of things it's the notion of leading a lifestyle without excessive consumption and some regards to the consequences and impacts our demands is admirable. It also speaks volumes on nations as a whole. With an eminent recession hitting the US economy, Bush is solution to the problem is BUY MORE! CONSUME MORE! Don't know how effective that will actually be, but sooner or later someone has to catch on to the implications of all this consumption.

A glimpse into the near future

2008-01-28T19:31:00.000Z

So nothing to do really with Uruguay but while browsing the New York Times website and found an amazing essay in the New York times Magazine. "Waving Goodbye to Hegemony" is an essay written by Parag Khanna. I believe it is an excerpt from his soon to be released book. It's a bit lenghty but worth the read. It generates a fictional glimplse of the world in the year 2016. The essay unfolds with the following

"It is 2016, and the Hillary Clinton or John McCain or Barack Obama administration is nearing the end of its second term. America has pulled out of Iraq but has about 20,000 troops in the independent state of Kurdistan, as well as warships anchored at Bahrain and an Air Force presence in Qatar. Afghanistan is stable; Iran is nuclear. China has absorbed Taiwan and is steadily increasing its naval presence around the Pacific Rim and, from the Pakistani port of Gwadar, on the Arabian Sea. The European Union has expanded to well over 30 members and has secure oil and gas flows from North Africa, Russia and the Caspian Sea, as well as substantial nuclear energy. America’s standing in the world remains in steady decline."

I was so compelled by this piece. His ficitional vision of a world 8 years from now is dead on, and he gives sound reasons based on events occuring today to prove it.

"while Jay-Z drowns in 500 euro notes in a recent video. American soft power seems on the wane even at home."

It has so valid points that really make you stop and think....

"With or without America, Asia is shaping the world’s destiny — and exposing the flaws of the grand narrative of Western civilization in the process."

I'll stop quoting and let you all read it for yourselves. When you get the chance let me know what you thoughts about it.

Food for thought

2008-01-18T15:04:00.000Z

I have been in Uruguay for over 4 months now and I have yet to comment on the food. To be honest I am not all that impressed. Blessed with a talented chef for a mother and having lived with college flatmates of Indian/Afghan, Thai and Moroccan backgrounds, I grew accustomed to a variety of scents, flavours, and most importantly species. I was definitely spoiled when it came to my gastronomic palate. So it’s not surprise that I’ve become somewhat critical of foods I encounter.

So about food in Uruguay, my gross generalization: beef, beef, more beef occasionally some vegetables on the side (probably some form of potatoes). That pretty much describes the asado of Uruguayan bbq, which consists of lots of meat usually beef and sometimes lamb with roasted red peppers. The national palate here is heavily influenced by the influx of Italian immigrants. So you can find pizza and pastas in just about every supermarket or restaurant you go to. Many might think well great how can you go wrong with a great slab of steak (Uruguay and Argentina produce the best beef in the world) or maybe even some pasta of some sort of pie/tart. Well here are my reasons:

1. I grew up in household full of vegetarians. With a sister and dad who renounced meat early on in my childhood and in order to appease them my mother often cooked meatless dishes. As a result I wasn’t all too fond of red meat to begin with. Chicken is the only reason keeping me from crossing over to the other side; It’s just too good. Plus try explaining your a vegetarian to someone in Sudan- good luck with that. My sister tries and fails every year. It’s difficult for them to comprehend a meal without meat.
2. the whole ordeal of halal/non-halal meat
3. where are the species? The food here at times seems flavorless. That’s why I opt to cook at home most of the time
4. One can only take so much pasta

So as you can guess, I don’t go out to restaurants all that often. Cooking at home has been a challenge in a country where regular black pepper is considered a potent spice. I scoured several supermarkets and was able to add some curry, chili pepper and cumin to my collection. Sadly that is the extend of what I could find. The on going joke with my flatmate is to add cilantro y comino (cumin) to everything.

Although exploring and getting to know Uruguay has been a great experience, the culinary aspect of it hasn’t really been up to par. I´m craving some Sudanese/Middle Eastern food or some butter chicken(Indian) or maybe even a bowl of tom yam (Thai).

To be fair though, desserts here make up for it. Each local Panaderia has an astonishing number of baked goods, most contain dulce de leche. For more info on this gooey goodness, wikipedia describes it best:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_de_leche

People here can eat dulce de leche for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s pretty good but a little too sweet. I usually have to follow it up with some kind of drink to dilute the sweetness.

I guess it’s all part of the experience.

Pirenópolis

2008-01-08T22:43:00.000Z

So with my Salvador hopes dashed I decided to head to Pirenópolis, a small historic town about 4 hours northwest of Brasilia. It is also the closest town to the Parque Nacional Brasília. The original plan was to go to this gateway city for a day and move further westward to Goias Velho. That plan never really panned out.

Traveller's Cardinal Sin
So initially I was planning to take all my stuff with me to move on to Pirenópolis from Brasília, but my family friends convinced me to take a smaller bag for the few days that I will be gone since I had to catch my flight out to Montevideo from Brasilia anyways. In the rush of things and my paranoia of losing/having something stolen, I always dispersed my passport, IDs, credit cards and loose change. Foolishly I left the house for bus station without any ID (passport, driving licence, etc). I got to the station, bought my ticket to Pirenópolis and waited for an hour or so till departure time. When I came to board the bus I realized I did not have a single piece of ID on me. There was no way to return the ticket and obviously I could not board the bus. I felt so stupid, how could I forget the most fundamental thing in travelling. I ended up losing out on a whole day as the only bus to Pirenópolis would arrive there fairly late at night and since I did not have my accommodation set up, I ended up spending the night in Brasilia and leaving in the morning.

Because of time constraints I didn't really make it to Goias Velho and spent 2 days in Pirenópolis. The first day I spent exploring the city and trying out more fruit juices. (Random aside, I was in love with the plethora of fruit juices in Brazil. I quickly settled on a favourite maracuja (passion fruit). I was obsessed if a cafe or restaurant was out, I would leave and walk to the next.

Parque National de Brasília
The following morning I got up early and headed to the tourist office to figure out logistics of getting to the national park and doing a bit of hiking/ seeing the various waterfalls. I bought my entrance to the park and was considering paying the ridiculously overpriced transportation fee when 2 Italians came by to inquire. We started talking and decided it would be a lot cheaper to split a cab between the three of us. The cab dropped us off at the foot of the trails near a juice stand/resting area. We arranged with the taxi to come back. We then parted ways. I started following the various trails marked out. Out of the 6 major waterfalls in the park, I could only make it to 3.

Cliff jumping

cliff where I jumped (picture doesn't really convey the height of the cliff)

It was dreadfully hot and I couldn't really stand to hike any longer. At one of the falls (called Meia Lua) I saw 2 people jumping off the side of the falls and swimming into the downstream pool. After both surfaced unharmed and realizing the water was deep enough for such a jump, I started talking to them. I found out they were both Brazilian. At this point, I really wanted to swim and more importantly try the cliff jump. So I tucked my backpack aside and with my clothes (a pair of scrub pants I wear as pjs and a shirt) I went swimming. The cliff was probably 25ft high. It was so scary, I took me a good 5 minutes of staring down at the water till I finally got the courage to jump. It was a bit tricky in the sense that you had to move back a bit and run, taking a leap as far away from the cliff and the nearby rocks to minimize injury when landing. It was so exhilarating!!! That feeling where your internal organs are crawling up to your throat. I was in the air for a good 4-5 seconds. I did the jump again 2 more times. More people caught on to this particular waterfall and surrounding pool. So when a crowd of people showed up, I gathered up my stuff and continued hiking a bit further uphill to a less crowded region.

After an entire day of hiking, swimming and cliff jumping, I headed back down to the resting area to change to dry clothes and wait for the taxi so I can get back into town and catch my bus back to Brasilia. I waited for nearly 40 mins near the juice stand and no sight of the taxi driver. At this point I had started talking to a Brazilian couple vacationing in the area. Initially they thought I was Brazilian. We communicated in what now seemed to be my perfected Porteñol (Spanish and Portuguese). Lucky for me they were heading back to Pirenópolis so they gave me a ride to the bus station. I made it back 30 minutes before the bus was due to leave. Definitely good timing because at that point I still didn't have my bus ticket yet.

Although it wasn't Salvador , Pirenópolis was just as amazing. The falls and the experience of getting to jump of the waterfalls were out of this world.

I got into Brasília late Saturday night, got a few hours of sleep and then Salma and her brother Samer drove me to the airport to catch a 5am flight back to Montevideo via Sao Paulo.

Final thoughts on Brazil
I've come to the realization that Brazilians are not really accustomed to accents. Since many Brazilians don't really have any interaction with many foreigners, they have trouble understand those speaking Portuguese with a different accent. Some have trouble understanding those from Portugal.

Also, Brazilians are very patriotic and very proud of vacationing within their country. In many cases, I found that tourists know the country better than natives because the natives don't really travel around as much. Not really the case with Brazilians, they love taking vactions in other parts of their own country. I wouldn't blame them, Brazil pretty much has such a vast range of options, with prestine beaches, natural attractions in abundance and lively urban culture found nowhere else but Brazil.

Brazilians are super friendly and for the most part really upbeat even in their everyday language. For example "belleza" means cool or "i'm doing well" literally translated it means beautiful. Also, as a solo traveller I found that it was very easy to engage in conversations with strangers around. Generally most people around would initiate conversations. In so many cases complete strangers helped me with directions (or the ride down from the waterfalls).

If I had the opportunity I would definitely like to spend a longer period of time exploring other parts of the country. Even though I covered quite a bit of ground in terms of exploration, it's just the tip of the iceberg.

Brasília

2008-01-08T20:55:00.000Z

Most people's reactions in Rio when I said that I would be spending New Year's Eve in Brasília wasn't all too comforting. I had a weird aversion to the city before even laying eyes on it.

Brasília is very unique from most other Brazilian cities, in that it was a planned city. Completely planned by famous Architect Oscar Niemeyer and constructed in the 1950s to serve as the new Brazilian capital instead of Rio de Janiero. When I actually toured the city and got a glimpse of the architecture, it seems as if it was the brainchild of some Soviet mastermind. Buildings are oddly squared and "modern" in a 1960s sense, which appear somewhat outdated now, if that makes any sense.

My trip to Brasília was in complete contrast to my stay in S.P. and Rio (I will discount Sao Paulo since I was only there for a day). As opposed to all the madness and craziness of Rio and the constant movement of people, Brasília is clean, organized and very very laid back relatively speaking. Brasília is mainly associated with government ministries and embassies. As opposed to the backpacker and budgeted trip of Rio, I stayed with family friends, living in a fairly affluent part of the city.

I didn't really know what to expect, especially having gone to Rio first. I stayed with my dad's friend's family who is the current Sudanese ambassador in Brazil. Although good family friends, I vaguely remembered them from visits back to Sudan. So I had my reservations about that whole situation.

Ringing in 2008!
When I arrived at the airport, I was greeted by Salma one of my dad's friend's daughters. She is also the same age and is studying university in Brazil. For New Year's Eve, Salma and I went down to lake to partake in the festivities and watch condomble rituals taking place (condomble is a form of religious practice largely practiced by people of Northern Brazil, in the state of Bahia. It is a mixture of Catholic and west African religious practices). Troupes drumming dancing and singing along with hundreds of food stands. I had this one snack called acaraje. The outer shell I can only describe as falafel-like and is filled with various ingredients and topped with shrimp and super spicy chilli sauce, oh so good!. At the mark of the new year, orchestrated firework took place from the centre of the lake. Also all those taking part in the condomble rituals walked down in the lake with vases full of flowers and candles which they placed in the water to float away. Afterwards we went to a New Year's part at the Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire. It was mostly people from other embassies as well. I had a really great time and met a bunch of people.

The following days, I spent hanging out with Salma and meeting some of her friends and getting to know Brasília. Granted it was a very select part of city, surrounded things related to embassies and diplomats. Went to a bbq hosted at another diplomat's house that lasted from early afternoon till fairly late at night. Regardless I had a lot more fun than I expected. All my reservations about my Brasilia trip dissipated, and I was really glad I got the chance to come and reconnect with these family friends. They were super hospitable.

ohh random discovery at the party at the Cote d'Ivorian Embassy, an Angolan song came on and all these Angolans took to the dance floor performing steps eerily similar to the electric slide. When I inquired about this dance, I found out that this is a traditional dance from most countries in Southern Africa, usually danced to Kudouro music. So I wonder if the American version bootlegged the steps from them or was it independently conceived.

Salvador-Greatest Disappointment
Initially my plan after visiting Brasília was to head west to the Pantanal region (world's largest wetland) for camping and such. When I got to Brazil and actually realized how hot and humid it was, I changed my mind; especially since it is the rainy season in that part of the country. In talking to many people in Rio, the verdict was clear, I had to head up north to Salvador in the state of Bahia (this region has the strongest African influence and a very unique culture). So I started looking into tickets to get there. I finally found a ticket, which was still expensive but relatively cheap in comparison to all the prices that I saw. I walked away from the computer for seriously 3 mins to discuss it with Salma and Khaltu Amal, came back to find the price went up drastically! I still didn't want to give up so I started looking into bus options. Mind you Brazil is huge, from Brasília (which is fairly central) to Salvador (which is fairly southern relative to the state of Bahia) it takes 22 hours by bus. Despite the dreadful thought of sitting in a bus for that long, I still wanted to make it up there. After more research I found out that most buses to long distance cities leave at night to reduce daytime travel. So that meant I would spend my entire time travelling and no time to actually explore Salvador. So I missed the opportunity to see Bahia and Salvador. Definitely the biggest disappointment of my trip.

Instead I regrouped and rerouted my travels elsewhere to one of the national parks several hours northwest of Brasília.

Kickin' off the Brazil adventure

2008-01-07T04:32:00.000Z

I just got back from Brazil yesterday and am still in a state of depression. I so did not want to leave. Honestly I don't know if my blog posts will do any justice to the amazing time I spent there.

I spent a day in São Paulo before heading off to Rio. To be honest although São Paulo is a metropolis that can hold its own. It could be any major city around the world. It is probably the only Brazilian city that has absorbed so many immigrants. There is the Japanese Quarter and oh so many Arabs, primarily Lebanese. I found out that there are more Lebanese people in Brazil than there are in the nation of Lebanon, interesting (most of them live in the greater São Paulo region). A day was more than enough time for me in this city. I couldn't wait to get to Rio.

I spent 4 nights, 5 days in Rio de Janiero. I stayed in a hostel in Copacabana called Rio backpackers. It was 3 blocks away from what probably is the most famous strip of sand in the world. I wasn't all too concerned about the beach, I wanted to get out and see what Rio had to offer. I had my reservations about travelling solo but it wasn't so bad. During the day I would go off and wander different parts of the city on my own. It was ridiculously hot with highs of 40 degrees C and the humidity was through the roof. Still that didn't stop me.

room 8 @ the hostel - the street leading up to the hostel

Walking tour
First day there, not knowing really where to start, I turned to my trusted lonely planet guidebook. It outlined a walking tour of the centro, which I decided to follow. I asked at the hostel reception what would be the best way to get downtown and was told the metro would be best. Luckily there was a metro station 2 blocks from the hostel. Metro was definitely very pleasant to take and offered some welcomed cool air from Rio's dreadful heat. I started off following the lonely planet guidebook and found myself randomly veering off. So I ended up just exploring what I saw fit; stopping every so often to buy some coco water, which was always ice cold and oh so delicious (its essentially fresh cocount water poured over ice). To escape the midday heat I found a park with lots of shade and chilled there for a while and got back to the hostel in the early evening. By then I was super exhausted from all the walking. After a shower and a small nap, I got up and chatted with a few other travellers at the hostel.

Cathedral Metropolitiana( ultra modern) -Treatro Municipal (modelled after the Paris opera house) - Old PetroBras building (looks like a rubric cube)

Santa Teresa
This is one of the many neighbourhoods of central Rio. It's located high up on one of Rio's many ranges overlooking the centro. It used to be the exclusive region of Rio with large mansions from the 40s and 50s dotting the ridges. The only way to get to the top is to take street car (bondinho). This street car is more like a trolley resembling those in San Francisco. After taking the metro to the centro and wandering off until I found the bondinho station, I rode it all the way to the last station at the top. I got off and started walking. I stopped by two museums. Along the way I stopped to take pictures of the sights down in the valley. Wedged between Santa Teresa and the centro is one of Rio's many favellas (slums). I didn't really know that at the time. Spent most of the afternoon up there and then walked all the way down, unintentionally crossing some parts of the favella. Thankfully I didn't have any problems.

bondinho

view from Santa Teresa

Favella between Santa Teresa/Lapa & el centro - view of el centro from Santa Teresa

Selarón
Another day I set out to find the infamous tiled stairs (Stairs of Selaron). I knew they were somewhere in the Santa Teresa/Lapa. Most people know these stairs because of the Snoop dogg video "beautiful" or Bono from U2 video. After wandering around for what seemed to be hours, I finally found them. When I got there the artist, Selaron (an eccentric Chilean man) was working on the steps. He worked on these steps (215 steps, 210 feet high) all on his own, adding all those tiles over the course of 17 years. When he saw me, he prompted his assistant to come and talk to me because he believed I was African. When he found out that I was born in Sudan, he was so excited. He told me that he had so much trouble collecting mosaics/tiles from African countries. I talked to him and his assistants for a while.

I then joined them along with an American girl working on a documentary, for lunch. I got to hear so many of his crazy stories. Later on his assistant told me that it was rare that he was so talkative among strangers. I asked about how he got started on this farfetched project all on his own. He started doing so mainly because he wanted to people to come see his paintings. This area of Lapa, at the time and still to this day to some extent is fairly dilapidated and extends upwards to the favella between Santa Teresa. He thus started to clean up the stairs and the area around his home. Afterwards, it became his lifelong ambition to continue to tile the entire set of stairs. Initially he started with Brazilian colours, then he expanded to add others. Now he receives numerous tiled gifts, some which he puts up on the walls along the stairs.

He gave me one of his small sketches. I in return promised to send him a tile representing Sudan so he can add it to the walls along the stairs. Now the Brazilian government has officially decreed that the stairs are a national landmark and any tampering to them would result in jail time or fines. Only Selaron has permission to make additions or changes.

stairs of Selaron (connecting Lapa to Santa Teresa) - a mosiac series on display- some of the assistants working on repairs

one of the side walls (has mosiacs sent from around the world)

Lapa
After meeting Selaron and his assistant, Angela, her girlfriend Jarim (both from Mexico), We agreed to meet up once again with more of their friends.. Jarim initially came for a 2 week vacation and ended up loving Rio so much she decided to stay. I also met their friend Mercedes who was visiting from Mexico. They invited me over to their place for dinner and to experience some of Lapa's Friday madness.

Angela (with the hat), Mercedes (in brown), Annie (blue tanktop) and Jarim

Every Friday night the streets of Lapa turn into one giant Samba party. This weekend the crowd was ten-fold stronger as it was nearing the new years. No joke, there were probably a good 8,000-10,000 people all over the streets. It was CRAZY! and so much fun to watch. I got to Angela/Jarim's place which was close by and had spectacular views of the city. They have a rooftop balcony (sutu7), where we sat around eating and chatting. I met more of their friends and got to know so much more about Rio and their crazy adventures with Selaron.

Lapa madness (this was on one of the side streets, the main streets were packed!)

Juana!
One of the highlights of my trip was meeting up with Juana (who was in town with her fam visiting her cousin). We spent an entire day near the centro (where we were approached by 3 guys, immediately we knew what was happening. They started asking for our cell phones, neither of us had any. Then they started talking faster in Portuguese. When they saw we really didn't have anything one of them went for Juana's bag that had a really thin strap. When I tried to grab hold of her hand the third guy came in between us. We didn't bother trying to hassle because it wasn't worth it. They made out with 80 reals, which is roughly $44USD). We definitely didn't let that incident ruin our day. Ironically that turned out to be one of my best days in Rio. I guess being mentally prepared for the reality of this city helped. This in no way should deter others from visiting. Just be careful and be ready to give up what you have. They didn't go for my bag, so continued on with the day. Stopping at Jarim/Angela's place for a bit then to a major feria (market), then more walking around eventually took the cable carup to Pao Azucar (Sugarloaf) where we spent hours chatting till near sunset. Followed by dinner. The following day I met up with Juana and her mom for dinner in my last night in Rio before heading out to Brasilia.

Juana y Juanita

I can go on and on about Rio, but I'll let some of my pictures speak for themselves. There are days I didn't take my camera along because I was walking around the city too much. Sadly one of those days I ended up going up to Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer) and and roaming around Leblon and the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas areas.

I left the morning of the 31st to Brasilia.